


The Flight of Falcon and Dragon

by Luislass



Category: Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:40:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 323,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27978222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luislass/pseuds/Luislass
Summary: Pokémon ORAS (Specifically Omega Ruby). Seven years after becoming the new Pokémon Champion of Hoenn and saving the world. Brendan is now the defending Champion on Ever Grande City, but his life has become a solitary path with almost everyone growing distant from him. That is until a Draconid lady came back to his life, changing everything with just one night.
Relationships: Higana | Zinnia/Yuuki | Brendan





	1. A New Life

**As a side note, I would like to say that this is a story I've written and published on FanFiction a bit ago . So the AN at the beginning may or may not make a whole lot of sense.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author Notes:** _After a few events in my life, I got really interested in Pokémon Oras and a few of its characters, so I decided to try and make a story for this game that really got me by surprise._

_I hope you guys enjoy the pilot chapter and the beginning of this new tale._

* * *

It's already late afternoon, but he cannot leave. The Pokémon champion of Hoenn has a duty to fulfill. After receiving a notice that a new challenger is making his way through the elite four, Brendan is patiently sitting on his marble seat on the center of his giant room, he is watching the young teenager battle against the veterans that stands on his way, a genuine curiosity coming alive inside of him.

"He shows a lot of promise." Brendan smiled after watching the challenger finally beat Sidney on a fierce battle. "You think he will make all the way to us?" He looked to a small Pokémon sitting beside his white throne.

The little Whismur let out a happy cry, she stood on her feet and jumped a few times excited.

"It has been some long days since someone challenged us. Right, Aster?"

The pink little ball of a Pokémon let out another happy cry as an answer. She jumped upwards to Brendan's lap, watching the little screen on his hands with the same intensity that he is.

As the stranger entered the next room, Phoebe started his next challenge with hers Banette, for which the teenager boy responded with his Scrafty. The one-sided battle between the two Pokémon lasted for more than the boy expected, this fact being very clear on his expression that is very annoyed even if his Scrafty got out as the victor.

Phoebe called out her next Pokémon, a fast Drifblim. The Ghost-type trainer is enjoying the battle with the large grin she always carry on her lips.

The poor Scrafty stood no chance, even if the damage from his last battle was not severe, it was enough to make him vulnerable to Drifblim's **Acrobatics** move. A series of nimbly flying strikes exploded on the orange Pokémon, knocking him out in a moment.

'No way, Scrafty!' From the cameras, Brendan watched the challenger cry out after his Pokémon hit the ground. 'How did you lose so fast…?' The boy called his Scrafty back to his Poke ball, clenching the ball fiercely.

Brendan frowned at the scene, he has a good feeling about the newcomer, but… "Does he not get it?" The champion glared a bit disappointed at the ongoing battle.

"Mur?" Aster felt his restlessness and cry out to him, raising her face upwards to face her friend.

"Hm?! Oh don't worry Aster. I'm just thinking out loud." He petted his Pokémon friend's head, as his fingers ran on its soft pink fur, Aster made a few happy sounds.

"You are still so clingy to that little Whismur." A cool voice sounded from behind the champion's throne. "It has been what, nine years since you found her?"

"Eight and a half." Brendan tapped Aster on her back making her jump to the ground, then he stood up from his seat, turning to look at the other man. "How have you been, Steven?"

The man with light steel blue hair walked closer to his friend, a bright smile showing on his lips. "Very busy, but, I'm doing great. I have to say, I missed exploring the world more than I imagined." Steven took out a shining green stone from one of his pockets and started to show his new trinket to Brendan. "And you, how are you faring?"

Brendan stared at Steven, an awkward smile on his lips. "You know, doing great! Just great… In a way like only the champion can. You know how it is."

"Brendan… On what have you expending your spare time on?" Steven asked with a serious voice, his steel blue eyes glaring at his friend's form.

"Ah… Training or just doing nothing on the sky." The champion averted his eyes away, already sensing what his friend is about to say.

"What… You have been doing that for two years?" Steven asked incredulous, to which Brendan only nodded a response. "That is just sad, you need a hobby or something. What about your friends?"

"The champion is a busy person, you know. Not a lot of free time to go on out there." Brendan said in a very unsure voice.

"You're not that busy, don't forget that I was the champion before you." Steven took one hand to his chin, closing his eyes as the wandered on his thoughts. "Oh yeah, what about that girlfriend of yours? Shouldn't you expend some time with her?"

"I don't have one, you should check your memory." Brendan let out a fake laugh, trying to shove this topic away.

"No, I am pretty sure that you have. I remember seeing you two all the time." Steven stared at Brendan, feeling a bit confused. "What was her name again? May?"

"Steven, that's enough." Brendan said out loud, his eyes glaring angrily to the side. "Just leave this be." The champion went back to his seat, his attention going back to the little screen on his hands. Aster stared at him, she cried sadly after noticing his pained expression.

"Sorry If I have been insensitive, it was not my intention." Steven watched Brendan's back, and noticed his friend nod at his apology. "I will let you go back to your duty now, but I will come see you later. Maybe we can go somewhere fun to take your mind off things, how about it?"

"I will be looking forward to it." Brendan raised one hand and waved to Steven.

And suddenly Steven disappeared behind a door, going away as fast as he appeared. With his friend gone, Brendan put his whole attention back to the battles happening right outside on the Elite Four halls. However to his surprise, the challenger is far past the point where Brendan has last seen him.

* * *

"Hoh, Boy you really have a spark of power on you." Drake raised the tip of his hat and wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Let me test your outmost limit with this. Come forth Salamence!" With a shout, Drake released his last Pokémon able to combat.

The azure dragon emerged from its Poké ball and with the command of his master, Salamence transformed into its Mega form, darting across the room with an amazing speed.

The confident challenger raised his arm up, holding in his hand a black and yellow ball of one of his two Pokémon. "Let's finish this, Tyrantrum!" He then threw the ball in front of him, making a powerful blue and silver Rock/Dragon Pokémon appear.

The blue beast unleashed a deafening scream, glaring menacingly at the flying Mega Salamence.

"Salamence, use **Dragon Rush**!" Drake ordered, throwing his left arm in a sweeping motion.

The blue dragon flew down at Drake's command, going into a head first tackle against the Shiny Tyrantrum.

"Tyrantrum, use **Head Smash**!" The young trainer yelled out in response.

In a contest of pure raw power, the two dragons clashed against one another sending shockwaves all around the room. After the first impact, Tyrantrum was the one to push its opponent away, making an even greater effort to run forward, dragging the Mega Salamence with him, and then smashing his opponent against the wall.

With a powerful roar, Salamence pushed the other Pokémon away, and with mighty swing of his wings, the blue dragon began to soar around the room once again.

Drake flinched at the sight of Tyrantrum's power. He took two steps forward and raised both arms. "Salamence, use **Crunch**!" He said with a stern gaze at his Pokémon partner.

Salamence roared once more and flew downwards in a spiral, aiming his jaws at Tyrantrum's back.

"Tyrantrum, use **Iron Tail**!" The trainer commanded his dragon. To which Tyrantrum rapidly followed, turning his body in an arc and bringing his tail back just enough to throw it upwards in full force.

"Now!" Drake yelled loudly.

Salamence made an absurd pause in mid-air and turned sideways changing course at the last moment. With this movement, the blue dragon posed himself right on top of Tyrantrum's blind spot, with a flap of his wings Mega Salamence flew down on top of the blue dragon and crunched with his teeth the back side of the Shiny blue beast.

Tyrantrum fell to the ground with the impact, a cry of confusion and surprise escaping the Pokemon's mouth.

"Dammit..." The youngster bit his lips in exasperation. "Tyrantrum push him away."

"Salamence, use **Zen Headbutt**!" Drake commanded, raising one arm up.

Salamence gave no room for Tyratrum to escape, instead he unleashed a powerful Psychic energy wave onto the blue dinosaur's back, crushing him even more onto the ground.

"TYRANTRUM!" The challenger trainer yelled in desperation. "I will not lose, I will not let you lose. Tyrantrum, use **Outrage**!"

With a raging screech, Tyrantrum began to trash around, swinging his entire body in a fit of uncontrollable anger. His movements got so intense that forced Salamence backwards, giving the free space needed for the shiny Pokémon to jump out of its place and landed a few feet away from his master.

"Go for it." The trainer pointed his finger forward, making his Pokemon get even more wild.

"Salamence, watch out! Use, **Dragon Rush**!" Drake said with a worried expression.

Drake's orders were of no use, as Mega Salamence tried to fly upwards into the room, Tyrantrum jumped even higher clashing on top of the blue dragon, dragging Salamence all the way to the ground. With a series of headbutts, Tyrantrum pinned his opponent into the ground smashing away with reckless abandon. After this last attack, Salamence was left out of combat.

Drake called out his Salamence back to its Poké ball and then the old trainer and final member of the Elite Four began to claps his hands in congratulations. "Well done boy, I didn't expect you to beat me, but you did it anyway."

"Thanks." The youngster smiled with an embarrassed grin, he took his right hand to the back of his head and began to mess with his dark black hair.

"You probably know it already, but my name is Drake. Mind if ask your name?" Drake asked.

"It's Axel, My name is Axel." The teenager replied with a warm grin.

The young trainer, is a teenager that appears to be fifteen years old. He is short and has dark green eyes. His hair is straight and short with a dark black color to it. His set of clothes are: a short sleeved grey shirt and long blue pants, with a pair of dark grey shoes. And lastly he has a large backpack on his back.

Drake nodded and smiled back. "I could see your fierce spirit Axel, and no one can deny the strength of you team, that is an incredible combination." The dragon trainer said, much to Axel's appreciation. "As a reward for our amazing battle, I will give you one free advice. Through this door lies the very best of Hoenn and may come as exaggeration, but he is the closest thing you can imagine as an unbeatable trainer." Drake stared at Axel's, now afraid, eyes. "You will need more than just power to beat him."

"W-What do you mean?" Axel asked curious and terrified.

"Hah, I said one advice." Drake let out a sonorous laugh. "The rest is up to you. Give you best boy." The dragon master walked to the side, opening the big door behind him.

Axel stepped outside Drake's room, entering a giant white hallway. The ominous vibe he is getting from this place is almost making his legs give up. "Let's go, just one more and I'm the winner. Just one more opponent and I will be the champion." Axel laughed nervously. "Just the current unbeatable champion left."

He continued to walk along the seamlessly unending path, his breath getting faster with each step. As Axel approached the stairway, the two massive white doors began to slowly open away, revealing a dark room.

"This is it!" Axel healed all of his injured Pokémon, and then practicality jumped the steps, entering the room in one swift action.

A set of lights turned on, revealing half of the room to him. Right at the edge where the lighted path ends, Axel can see a big white marble throne, then his body froze as his eyes landed on a shadows sitting on the imposing throne.

"You battled your way through the victory road." A voice called out to the young boy. "You wreaked havoc on the halls of the Elite Four, and now you are standing on the last step before the top."

All the lights on the room flashed on, revealing everything else to the newcomer. The person sitting on the throne is a man of grey fierce eyes and large brown hair. He is using dark black short sleeved shirt, with a few lines of red color in a straight design. A pair of black/grey pants, together with a pair of grey/ red shoes. He has a white ragged bandana wrapped on his left arm. And a detail that almost escaped Axel's eyes, is a little pink Pokémon standing proudly beside the throne.

"My name is Brendan, I am the Pokémon Champion of Hoenn." Brendan stood up from his seat, taking a few steps forward. "Your last challenge on this road."

Axel felt his entire body fire up. "Let's do this, come out Altaria." In his excitement he went ahead and called out his first Pokémon. 'This is it, the end of the road.'

Brendan could not hide the smirk on his lips. "Come, Naito." The champion threw an ultra-ball far high into the air and then an imposing and beautiful Honckrow came out.

"A nickname?" Axel let his surprise out loud, without really meaning it.

"Yes, I name every Pokémon that fight with me." Brendan responded with a smile. "How could I call him my friend without giving him a name first?"

The young challenger snapped out of his surprise and looked to his dragon/flying Pokémon. "Altaria let's knock that crow out of the air. Use **Moonblast**!"

"Naito, use **Sucker Punch**!" Brendan raised his right hand, and pointed forward.

The Honchkrow flew like a rocket towards Altaria, knocking the blue/white bird out of the air.

"Altaria, fly higher. Use **Sky Attack**!" Axel said loudly.

"Naito, use **Night Slash**!" Brendan responded.

Again the Honchkrow flew in with a speed that doubles the one of Altaria. Naito attacked again, sending the blue Pokémon to the floor once again.

"What?!" Axel cried out in frustration. "How are we losing in speed?" He glared at the scene. "Altaria, strike him down! Use **Moonblast**!"

Altaria flapped her wings gathering a concentrated wave of pink energy and fired it towards the flying Honchkrow. But with no effort, the dark-blue bird evaded the attack.

"Naito, use **Brave Bird**!" Brendan made a move with his left arm, commanding his Pokémon to fly down on to Altaria.

Naito followed the Champion's orders and flew than even fast then before. Yellow light engulfed him as she darted away towards the blue dragon. Like a destructive arrow, Naito clashed on top of Altaria, rendering the Pokémon completely unconscious.

"Altaria…" Axel called back his first Pokémon. He stared at the flying Honchkrow, a disappointed expression on his face. "Scrafty, come out." He tossed another Poké ball out, releasing the second member of his team. "Let's set this right! Scrafty, use **High Jump Kick**!"

The little orange fighter jumped so high that he almost reached the ceiling, then he began to fall down, aiming towards Naito.

"Naito, counter his move. Use **Superpower**!" Brendan shouted.

The fast Honchkrow changed direction and aimed upwards. The bird flew in aiming his attack at the Pokémon slowly falling towards him.

"Now Scrafty, use **Ice Punch**!" Axel yelled with all this might.

The orange fighter kicked the air, pushing himself a bit backwards, just enough to let Naito pass right in front of him. As the bird flew pass him, Scrafty's right fist turned to a bullet of Ice power and clashed onto the Honckrow's chest. Putting a lot of force on his arm, Scrafty shot the bird from the air, making him clash onto the white floor.

"Good job Naito, get some rest now." Brendan called his Pokémon back. He then turned to the side and looked to the little Whismur staring at him. "Come on Aster, let's do this."

"Mur, Mur!" Aster jumped excited and then walked towards the arena.

"What?" Axel stared at the little pink Pokémon in disbelief. "He is your second one?"

"She, Aster is an adorable girl." Brendan waved one finger in front of him. "Don't underestimate my little friend."

"So much for an unbeatable champion. Let's go Scrafty, just bash that little thing away." Axel laughed as he commanded his fighter forward.

Scrafty let out a grunt and prepared to fight again.

"Aster, use **Double Team**." Brendan said in a calm voice.

"Mur!" Aster began to jump sideways, going faster with each little jump. Then she stopped, felling at lot faster than before.

"Scrafty hold nothing back. Use **High Jump Kick**!" Axel said with a cocky grin.

The little fighter quickly jumped far high again, making the same movements that took out Naito.

Brendan could not help but frown, at the young trainer's sudden change of behavior. "Aster, use **Echoed Voice**!"

The little pink Whismur jumped to the side and let Scrafty fall onto the floor. Then she shot a soundwave against her opponent. Scrafty felt the impact like it was kick on his head, the orange Pokémon shook his head trying to gain his concentration again.

"Again Aster!" Brendan shouted.

"Mur!" Aster shot the soundwave once again on her opponent, now the attack becoming even stronger. Scrafty got pushed all the way to the wall with this sound explosion, his head getting heavy and his vision blurred.

"Don't let that little thing push you away. Go on Scrafty, use **High Jump Kick**!" Axel yelled in full frustration.

Scrafty shook his head again and jumped far high, preparing to fall with his powerful kick. But this time Aster didn't even wait for Brendan's voice, instead she shoot once again her **Echoed Voice** , the powerful wave that exploded out of her quickly reached the fighter knocking him out of the air and out of the fight.

"Dammit, how did Scrafty lose to a little Pokémon like that…"Axel pulled out another Poke ball from his pockets. "Ninetales, it's your time!" A beautiful light yellow fox appeared in front of the trainer. "Ninetales, use **Flare Blitz**!"

With a growl, the fox cloaked herself with fire and began to charge at full speed towards the little pink Pokémon.

"Aster, Use **Water Pulse**!" Brendan said swinging one arm to the side.

From the white floor a giant blast of water suddenly appeared, the fast pulse quickly reached Ninetales consuming all the fire and knocking the fox on the ground. With the impact of both the attack and the hard white ground, Ninetales got dizzy and unable to move properly.

"No, don't give up yet. Ninetales, use **Dark Pulse**!" Axel ordered. But his words had no effect, as the fox stood in place still trying to get her bearings back.

"Aster finish this. Use **Hyper Voice**!" Brendan said with a stoic voice.

Aster let loose a terrifying echoing shout, making a massive soundwave that flew towards the confused Ninetales. As the wave reached the fox, the Pokémon was quickly knocked out of combat.

"Why… Why I'm losing?! I know that my Pokémon are stronger that a little Whismur…. So why?" Axel at this point is feeling all the pressure and anxiety that he could. He grabbed another Poke Ball from his pocket and threw out in to the air. "Go, Milotic! Let's show them our power."

'I see, so he really doesn't get it…" Brendan let out a heavy sigh. "Aster, come back." He called out his little pink friend.

"Mur?" Aster looked at him confused, but she did as he asked and jumped behind him.

"You did great, don't worry about it." Brendan said to his partner with a very bright smile on his lips. "Challenger, may I ask your name?" The champion turned his attention to Axel.

"Axel… My name is Axel." The boy said with hesitation.

"Axel, I watched your fights from before and I'm battling you right now. So I can tell that you are strong and you team is too, but…" Brendan closed his eyes, a serious expression appearing on his face. "Power is not everything, Pokémon are not tools or weapons. If you don't understand that, you will never surpass your own weakness."

"We reached the top, you said yourself. We did it with power." Axel said back. "And with our power we will defeat you!"

"Power is not everything… However if power is the only thing that you will understand." Brendan pulled out a Poke Ball from his pocket. "I will show you what real power is." With that the champion called out his next Pokémon. "Layla, come out."

An elegant and powerful Swellow flew out in the air, gliding around with a majestic grace.

'Another simple Pokémon…" Axel frowned after looking at the dark blue bird.

A snap of fingers sounded around the room, and with that sign the blue Swellow dove down on the air, flying at an unbelievable speed towards the Milotic. Before Axel could even react, his water Pokémon was locked in a barrage of attacks from the Swellow's **Aerial Ace**.

"Wha- WHAT?!" Axel yelled in shock, before he could order anything to his Milotic, his Pokémon was out of combat.

"This is Layla's power." Brendan said with a harsh voice, his eyes locked onto Axel. "She is my most trusted Pokémon. Let's see how your team fare against her."

"Grr… Tytrantrum come out!" Axel pulled his Milotic back and unleashed his shiny blue dragon. "Tyrantrum blow them away, use **Head Smash**!"

"Layla, go straight forward. Use **Steel Wing**!" Brendan said loudly.

Following her master's command, the Swellow flew in going head on towards the Tyrantrum's charge. To Axel that was simple insane, to throw a flying Pokémon against his Tyrantrum's rock type charge, but as he looked to Brendan he saw no hesitation or fear, instead a confident and honest smile is showing on the champion's lips.

Tyrantrum swung his head around as he reached his opponent, but found nothing on his path. Layla flew pass him and turn back around aiming her attack at Tyrantrum's back. An explosion of silver wings happened on blue dragon's back, making him fly all the way to the side wall, leaving him unable to fight.

"Impossible… How is that Swellow so strong?" Axel reached for his last Poke ball, his hands trembling without control. The young trainer threw out his Poke ball, calling out his Xatu.

"Don't avert your eyes!" Brendan said out loud. "And don't give up until the very end." He glared at the young trainer.

The champion's words flared up a new fire inside the young trainer. "Xatu, use **Psychc**!" Axel yelled out loudly, his Pokémon responded with the same enthusiasm.

Brendan smiled and nodded with his head. "Layla, show him the true power of the sky."

Layla cried out with a loud voice, the elegant Swellow flew so high that she touched the ceiling and then she descended upon the arena, a powerful and dazzling light engulfing her body. Layla's **Brave Bird** charge cut straight pass Xatu's psychic stream and like an arrow made of light, the Swellow hit the green bird Pokémon with an amazing speed, leaving the Xatu completely unable to fight.

As their battle come to an end, Axel fell to his knees. The overwhelming difference striking him like a truck.

Brendan walked closer to the young trainer and gave him a warm smile. "You have a lot of promise, I can tell that." He patted Axel's on his left shoulder. "Just remember that you have to trust on your team and they should trust you too. Treat them as precious ally and friends, they will do the same to you."

"I…" Axel looked down to the floor, holding a few tears back. "Yes sir, I will work extra hard to make up for our loss today." He looked back to Brendan, now smiling back to the champion.

"I will be looking forward to the day that you come back to challenge me again." With that, Brendan guided the defeated challenger back to the main hall of the Pokémon League.

* * *

After his tiring day on work, Brendan had finally took a free time for himself, he is now on his secret little spot on Ever Grande City, a small natural garden on top of the mountain. Like always he is enjoying the moonlight scenery with his friend Aster sitting at his side. The young man is holding his Pokénav plus on his hands, really hesitating if he should press the button.

"Mur!" Aster jumped on his arm.

"I know, I know… Here goes nothing." Brendan pressed the button and let out a sigh. "Hi Mom, Dad… I'm just calling to see how you guys are." He looked away from his device for a moment. "Just call me back when you two get this message, I... really miss you two." He closed his Pokénav and tossed it back on his backpack. "Maybe they will call me back this time."

"Mur,mur…" Aster walked slowly to her friend and nuzzled against his right arm. "Mur?!" She did a jump back, glaring at something behind some bushes.

"What's wrong?" Brendan looked to Aster with curious eyes.

"Mur!" Aster ran towards the high grass vanishing from his sight.

"Hey, Aster where are you doing?" Brendan jumped to his feet and began to run after the little Whismur.

"Muur!" He could only hear Aster cry out in the distance.

"Aster, wait." Brendan felt his heart getting heavy. "Aster!" He jumped out of the grass, reaching a clear area on the edge of the mountain. "Aster?" His entire body froze. "Come on out, this is not funny." His heart broke with the thought of losing his cute pink friend. He walked close to the edge and looked down to the huge cliff in front of him. "ASTER!" He shouted out in panic.

Then out of nowhere a giant flying Pokémon appeared on top of Brendan, snatching him with their powerful claws.

"Arhhhhhh! Holy shit, who are you?" Brendan looked upwards, just to see the lower body of a Salamence. He tried to reach for one of his Poke Balls, but before his hands could get near his pockets, the blue dragon dropped him on a small island close to Ever Grande City.

"Wow Salamence, you caught a big one today, hahah." A feminine voice said joking to the blue dragon.

"Who are you?!" Brendan jumped to his feet again, reaching to the first Poke Ball he could find. With a quick action he threw it in front of him, calling out a big Sceptile. 'Good, Ekkisu was the one that I found.' He smiled at the sight of his trusted grass type Pokémon.

"How cold, did you really forgot about me?" The woman said with a fake sad expression. This mysterious person, is a woman with a short black hair and wild red eyes; who wears a red/grey shirt with a red shorts with long grey socks going as high as pass her knees and simple white shoes. She has a point tooth standing out on her wide grin.

"Mur, Mum!" Aster jumped from behind the women, happily jumping in front of Brendan.

"Aster!" The champion of Hoenn ran towards Aster and embraced her on a firm hug. "Why did you ran away like that, you don't know how worried I got."

"Mur!" Asper cried out excited.

The woman smiled at the scene. "Call me surprised. You really become a loving father to my cute little girl."

"Your girl?" Brendan eyed the woman. "Zinnia?" His eyes grew wide at the realization.

"So you do remember me." She giggled putting one hand in front of her lips. "Ah… You still look so cute, even with a confused expression."

* * *


	2. Early Morning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author Notes:** _A new short chapter. But as the story progress they will start to get bigger and bigger. But sometimes, even small chapters contain really cool stuff in it._

* * *

"So you do remember me." She giggled putting one hand in front of her lips. "Ah… You still look so cute, even with a confused expression."

"You are a very unique woman." Brendan stood up and ran one hand on his hair. "It's difficult to forget someone like you."

Zinnia smiled, she put her left hand on her waist and placed her right one on her cheek. "Well, well. Are my ears tricking me or is the famous champion of Hoenn flirting with me?"

To her surprise, the young man did not react the way she expected. Instead, Brendan let out a tired sigh and stared at her with a blank expression. "Don't get the wrong idea here, I'm just saying that your wild behavior is very unique and difficult to forget. Nothing more than that."

"Sheesh, what a mood killer." The draconid woman frowned.

"So, can you explain why you kidnapped me?" He said with a demanding voice.

"Kidnap? No, I would never do that." Zinnia showed an innocent smile on her lips. "Well, maybe I could do that, but I didn't this time. Anyway, I just came back to Hoenn and I wanted to see my little girl."

"Mur, Mur!" Aster cried happily.

"Yes, I missed you too. You cute little thing." Zinnia hugged her pink little friend.

Brendan stared at the two hugging and talking friendly, and an ill, guilty feeling took over his heart. "She is a good friend." He said calmly. "The best friend I could have asked for."

"Mur?" Aster turned to look at him. The pink little Whismur walked close to Brendan and let out a sad cry.

"Aster… I'm fine." Brendan lied with a cold voice. "You missed your mum didn't you?" He patted her head with one hand. "You should go with her."

"Mur…" Aster lowered her head, a feeling of sadness striking on the shy Pokémon's heart.

"About that…" Zinnia said, getting their attention. "I have a favor to ask." She clapped her hands in front of her.

"Ah… Sure. I mean, depends on what you want." Brendan scratched his left cheek with one finger. "What can I do for you?"

Zinnia brightened up, a large smirk on her lips. "Can I crash on your place?" She asked cut and clear.

"Excuse me?" The champion of Hoenn stared at her, his mind not registering her request properly at all.

"I just came back to Hoenn and it's getting late… So let me stay at your house." Zinnia jumped in front of Brendan, grabbing his hands. "Please, even if just a day."

"Mur!" Aster jumped on his leg, letting a pleading voice.

"Okay, okay." He smiled as he said. "But don't get your expectation too high, my house is very small."

"Thank you!" She pulled his hands in a powerful handshake. "Aster, we can all stay together. Isn't that nice?"

"Mur, Mur!" Aster jumped high with joy.

'Steven did say that I should find some company.' Brendan thought to himself. 'I just hope that I don't regret this.'

* * *

"May, Good evening! I hope I didn't make you wait too much." The Petalburg gym leader took a seat on one of the fancy chairs around her table.

Wally, now a handsome young man, is very different from what he was as a kid. He is healthier now and that show on his tall and surprisingly lean athletic body. He wears a large open silver coat with a short sleeved white shirt under it; his pants are light grey and his shoes are ice blue with a few details in bright white.

"Not at all." She replied with a warm smile. "I'm the one who should apologize for making you come here, even though you are so busy."

May has turned into quite a beautiful lady herself. Her expression is much more feminine making her grey-blue eyes even more appealing. She wears a red shirt with a green semi-circle on the middle, a dark blue mini-skirt over black lycra shorts, orange and red ankle boots with low heels. Her unique red bandanna is now tied to her neck, leaving her brown hair loose.

Wally laughed and waved one hand in front of him. "Don't be silly, it will never bother me to take some time to see you."

May ran her fingers on her large side-bangs, his words made her blush slightly, forcing the young woman to look away from him.

"Anyway, did something happened?" Wally asked with a serious expression.

"No… Why would you ask that?" She said with a guilty voice.

"You know, you rarely come by anymore. So your request to have dinner together caught me by surprise." The green-haired young man eyed her curiously. "Are you okay? I'm here if you need anything."

"I'm fine, thank you. You really are a sweet person." She giggled, but her shoulders are still hanging low and her eyes carry a bit of sadness. "I just want to talk with a friend."

"Then, I am here for you." Wally noticed something on her gaze, something that she wanted to put out right on the beginning. "May, is there anything you want to say?"

May eyed him, unsure if she should say anything. But her curiosity won over her. "Have you talked to Brendan recently?"

That question made Wally frown for the first time on their encounter. "No… I haven't." He clicked his tongue and looked to the side. "Brendan… I love that guy, but he really changed."

"You two are not talking with each other anymore?" She asked afraid of the answer.

"Yes… But is not my fault." Wally said raising both hands. "Like I said, he really changed. Before, he would go out of his way to help me or to just be there for me. But one day he just became cold and distant." He looked down to the table, a sad weight on his eyes. "It has been almost two years since I last saw him."

"Oh… Two years?" She cringed on her chair, a few tears appearing on her eyes. "Is probably my fault."

"Your fault? How would that be your fault?" Wally rested his back against the chair, staring even more curious to her.

"You know that we are… not together anymore, right?" She looked at his eyes.

"Yeah, that was probably the last thing I heard from him." Wally responded back.

"We had a really big fight and because of that we broke up." She held her left arm with a tight grasp, biting her lower lip. "It started really stupid, but then it got really serious…"

"You guys looked so happy together, I can't picture you two having a fight and one that serious too." He glanced to the side and then back to her. "What happened? Why did you two fight like that?"

"It was because of you. Kind of." She said ashamed.

"ME?!" Wally almost fell out of his seat with the shock. "W-Why me?"

"Is not because of you, but it is?" May herself got confused by her words. "Look, I will explain this right. When Brendan decided to train before he could stand as the new champion, he went away to Johto and then Sinnoh… All I could do was watch as the distance between us began to grow more and more."

Wally felt a distant memory come back to him, something he wanted to forget. "I know how that feels." He said with a cold voice. "I always wanted to catch up to him, to be as strong as Brendan is, but… After some time, it felt impossible, he was always getting further away from me."

"So we felt the same frustration." May laughed. "After he came back I wanted his attention, I wanted Brendan all for myself. But as the new champion he got even more busy and distant than before." She took a heavy breath and looked to the side. "I just snapped after that. I told him that he was a terrible person and… And that I would be happy if I was dating you instead of him."

"And you really meant that, when you said it?" Wally felt a jolt cross his body, his fingers fidgeting nervously as he asked.

"No… I don't know. I just wanted to hurt him, and that really did." May's arms fell to the side, a frown showing on her expression. "It hurt him so much, that he won't talk to me or you anymore."

"Now I know why he doesn't like me anymore." Wally let out a little laugh.

"It's all my fault, I'm sorry Wally."

"I don't think so. Well, I guess it was a bit too much to put me in the middle of your fight. But I understand why you did it, I would probably do the same in your place." Wally shook his head and smiled. "I just wish that Brendan would stop being so stubborn and talk to us. Maybe you two could even get back together."

"Hahah, I don't think so. But it would be nice to talk to him again." May looked to her side, watching the night sky through the window. "I wonder what he is doing right now."

* * *

"Come my champion, lay on the bed with me." Zinnia said with a provocative voice.

"I already regret this." Brendan smacked his forehead so hard that the sound echoed all around his house.

The Pokémon Champion of Hoenn lives in a small house on the other side of Ever Grande City, behind a sea of flowers, isolated from all other citizens. Given his new nature and how difficult is to reach the place, Brendan's house receives way more Pokémon visitors than human citizens of Hoenn. From outside the building seems way too small, but on inside it has quite a deal of space, with the house being separated in a cute little living room in conjunction with the kitchen, a bathroom on the left side, with the bedroom on the back.

"I'm so cold… help me warm up." She curled on the bedsheets, burring her face on a pillow.

"Then put your clothes back!" Brendan yelled tossing his arms upwards.

"Geeh, why would I do that? Is so hot in here." Zinnia is currently only using a deep red bra and jet black panties.

Brendan just gave up, he looked at her dumb folded, completely lost for words.

"Hahahah, don't make that face. I'm just messing with ya." She tossed one pillow at his face and began to laugh even more.

"I figured that was the case… And you are pretty good at it too." He tossed the pillow back at the bed, barely missing her and hitting Aster instead.

"MUR!" The little Whismur protested angrily.

"But, I am feeling very hot right now. Can I take a shower?" She asked.

"Sure, first door to the right." He pointed behind him.

"Thanks, you're a life saver." Zinnia jumped from the bed back on her feet and grabbed a large brown pack she brought with her. Then before walking past Brendan, she stopped and stared at his eyes for a few seconds. "Want to join me?"

Brendan gave a cold stare back at her, his lips curving in an annoyed grin.

"Sorry, I had to." She smacked his left arm with one hand and walked pass him, laughing at the young man's face.

Brendan let out a sigh and noticed a little pink ball staring curiously at him. "Just so you know, this is your fault." He pointed at Aster and then began to walk towards the living room.

"Mur?!" Aster jumped out of the bed. "Mur, Mur!" She ran out of the room, crying out to Brendan as she followed him.

"What a day…" Brendan crashed down on his couch, looking up to the ceiling. He grabbed his Pokénav plus and searched for a reply. However, he got nothing as usual. "Hey Aster, do you enjoy living here with me?" He turned his head to the side, making eye contact with his little friend.

Aster jumped on top of him and laid with her back on his chest. "Mur, Mur."

"I will take this as a yes." The champion laughed and patted the Whismur's head with one hand. Then something began to shake fiercely on his pocket, forcing him to sit up and check it. Brendan took a Poké Ball from his pocket and stared at it confused. He called out the Pokémon inside of it and watched as his large Sceptile appeared in front of him. "Ekkisu? What is the matter?"

Just an annoyed grunt was the green Pokémon's response. Ekkisu stared at Brendan, clearly not pleased with something.

"Are you mad because I didn't use you on my match today?" Brendan raised one eyebrow, a smile showing on his lips as the Sceptile crossed his arms and looked to the side. "You're just a big baby, aren't you?" He laughed warmly.

Ekkisu growled and cried, as he waved his arms on the air. Then the Scepitle began to do a series of movements with his hands, getting Brendan's attention to the real problem.

"Oh, our training?" He asked and his Pokémon nodded. "Sorry Ekkisu, I didn't had time today. But tomorrow we can do it, first thing in the morning. How about it?"

The big grass type Pokémon looked towards Aster, she cried out and nodded her head. Then with another grunt, Ekkisu nodded his head and began to walk towards the entrance door.

"Another night out?" Brendan asked, but he already knows the answer. "I will leave the door unlocked, so you can come back at any time." He leaned his back on the couch and watched as his friend and longtime partner walked outside to another one of his night time leave.

"He goes out alone a lot?" Zinnia walked inside the room, using only a pair of pink underwear and a large towel wrapped on her hair.

"Mostly at night, I think he found a partner for himself." Brendan smiled with the thought of his friend starting a family of his own, then his eyes traveled towards Zinnia, making his body go completely stiff. "I will not even complain anymore." He said defeated, but the truth is that he can barely keep his eyes away from the sight in front of him.

"And why would you? Don't like what you see?" She posed with one hand on her waist and another on her left cheek.

Brendan only laughed. Even if he tries to deny any interest, is difficult for him to not look at her well-defined tanned body, even more so with her being so close and provoking him all the time.

She jumped on the couch and placed her legs on top of Brendan's lap, with both hands she began to dry her hair while humming a little song. "So, Brendan. I've been really curious about this, why do you live out here alone?"

"I'm not really alone. I have Aster, Ekkisu, Layla… When I think about it, is rare a time when I'm completely alone." He responded with a smile.

"Come on, you know what I mean." She pinched the side of his arm. "You're so famous that is kind of ridiculous. I spent only a few minutes on Mauville City and that was enough to hear a lot of gossips about you."

"Really now?" Brendan scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassment showing on his face.

"Yeah, really." Zinnia shook her head. "And that got me thinking, why is such a famous man sitting alone on the other side of Ever Grande City on a pleasant night?"

"I told you, I am not-"

"Not alone, yeah I heard you." Zinnia eyed him with curiosity, her red eyes burning his skin with an intense glare. "What about girlfriend?"

"Don't have one." Brendan said coldly.

"That is a pity, such a waste of your pretty face." She ran two fingers on his left cheek.

"Enough about me." Brendan softly pushed her hand away. "What about you? Found someone on your adventures?"

"I got a husband." She replied normally.

Brendan quickly jumped from the couch, his eyes wide open in surprise. "Really?" His gaze landing on the form of her breasts, making his head go even more confused and wary that already is.

"Nah." She gave a brat smile to him. "Not yet at least."

"You are crazy…" Brendan let out a sigh, if it is out of relief or tiredness, not even him knows.

"A little craziness can be good you know, to spice up life a little bit."

"Just a little you say…" Brendan turned away and walked inside his bedroom, after a couple of seconds he came out with a few sheets and a pillow on hand. "You can take the bedroom; I will sleep here on the living room."

"Oh, so sweet of you. If you treat me like that, I will start to fall for you." She giggled like a little girl.

"Is not like I would let a guest sleep on the floor." Brendan began to spread the large white sheet on the floor. "So don't worry about it."

Zinnia slowly stood up and walked her way to him. She grabbed his chin with one hand and raised his face to her, kissing his right cheek softly. "This is a thank you for letting me stay here today."

The so famous Champion of Hoenn, is blushing with a deep red on his cheeks. "You're welcome." He smiled shyly to her, his right hand sliding on his long brown hair.

His response made something tick faster inside the woman, she leaned in forward again, but this time taking her lips on a quick, but sweat kiss on Brendan's lips. "And this is for taking care of Aster." She walked away from him, and took on her arms a little Whismur who was already sleeping on the floor.

Brendan watched as she slowly walked inside the bedroom, his fingers touching his lips, that still are warm after the kiss. "What a crazy woman." Brendan smiled and shook his head. "Now how I'm supposed to sleep like this?" He ran his left hand down, stopping on his chest. His heart is beating so fast that it could jump out at any minute.

The young man took out his clothes and went right ahead to take a cold shower. Only after that, he was able to calm down enough to sleep on his improvised bed.

* * *

The snow is falling slowly on this cold morning, but again, on this part of the mountain is always cold and full of snow. A young man is standing on top of the snow covered mountain, he is dressed with a red shirt, black pants and wearing a golden-colored cap with black lines. Like a little ritual to him, he always enjoys the view of this place before attending to his very busy work and almost no one comes here to interfere with him. However, today is one of the odd days.

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath, quickly the sound of someone stepping on the snow covered ground got his attention. He turned his face to the side and got a glimpse of his visitor on the corner of his eyes.

"Now, this is a rare event." The young man with the golden hat said. "Have you come to finally beat me on a fair battle?"

"No… Today I came here just to talk." A man with flaming red hair said back.

"Now, that is even rarer." The first one said with a laugh. "Really, haven't you said that you had nothing to say to me until you have beaten me?"

"Yes, and that just prove how serious this is." The red haired man frowned.

"Really?" The other man turned around, a cocky smile on his lips. "How so?"

"Ethan!" A mighty annoyed shout echoed on Mt. Silver's summit. "This is serious. I would never come to you if it was not."

"Okay Silver, I will hear you." Ethan took a few steps forward, getting close to his longtime rival. "What happened?"

Silver glared at the Pokémon Champion of Johto, he is cursing himself mentally for coming to Ethan of all people, but for him, this situation is more important than his ego. "My father is ready to do something really stupid this time." He said harshly. "Even worse than before."

"Team Rocket again, huh?" Ethan closed his eyes and sighed. "What is he doing?"

"He gathered a lot of strange people and they are preparing to do go all out on something big this time." Silver grabbed a pile of papers from inside his bag and handed over to Ethan. "If they go through with this… They will change everything."

"And where are they now?" Ethan eyed Silver. "I haven't seen a member of Team Rocket for a long time."

"Because they are not here." Silver replied. "He took everything and everyone… to Hoenn."

* * *

The most annoying sound on the planet went crazy first thing on the morning. Brendan's Pokénav plus, began to release a ringing noise, awakening him from his deep sleep. He lazily reached the gadget with one hand and opened the thing, with his eyes still closed.

"Hello?" Brendan said with a low voice.

"Good morning to you, son!" A lovely voice sounded from the Pokénav. "Hey, what are you doing in bed still?"

"Mom?" Brendan looked to the screen and noticed not only his mother but his father at her side too. "You called back!" A smile appeared on his lips.

"Son, why don't you open the windows or turn the light on? We can barely see your face on the dark." Norman said.

"Sure, just wait one moment." Brendan tried to stand up, but he felt something heavy pressing on his chest, holding him against the sheets. He ran his left hand on what was on top of him, and he felt a fluffy sensation on his fingers. "Excuse me for a moment Aster, I need to get up."

As he continued to stroke 'Aster's fur' a giggle soon followed, making the hairs of his arms stand up. "Stop it… that tickles." Zinnia said with an innocent voice.

Brendan looked to his side and he could not believe his eyes. "Aaaaaahhh! What are you doing here?!"

Aster came running from the bedroom, the little Whismur startled by Brendan's shout, went straight to the light switch, driving away the darkness from the place.

As Brendan tried to shield his eyes against the brightness, he held his right hand upwards, making the Pokénav's camera point downwards to him and his improvised bed. "Oh my…" Brendan's mother took both hands to her mouth.

Following his mother's reactions, Brendan looked down to his bed and understood her shock. "Why are you naked?" He jumped out of the bed. "Why did you sneak around naked?!"

Zinnia is lying on the sheets without a single piece of clothing on her body. And like that was the most natural occurring in the morning, she just turned over to the side and fell asleep again.

"Er… We can call back another time…" Norman looked away, his awkwardly standing beside his wife.

"No! Please wait just a moment." Brendan ran as fast as he could to the entrance door, and wearing only his boxer underwear he went out to the world.

After many and many years of hard training with his Pokémon team, the young man now has a well-defined and athletic body. His good form being way more evident when he is with his shirt out.

"Sorry… I… That woman…" Brendan sat down on the grass, covering his face with one hand while holding the Pokénav on the other.

"You don't have to explain yourself…" Norman said with a nod. "You are a man now, we understand."

"Dad… is not what you are thinking." The young champion felt so embarrassed that his face could melt at any moment.

"Be sure to treat her well, you hear me young mister?" His mother jumped in. "I don't want to see you sulking like when little May dumped you."

"Okay, enough of that… Geez." Brendan waved his right hand, making his Pokénav shake out of control. "How are you two doing? It has been so long since we last talked."

"Sorry son, we have a reason for that." Norman said.

"And?" Brendan Replied.

"We are not telling." His mother said and giggled. "That is a secret, super-secret in fact."

"But we will explain everything when we get to Hoenn." Norman said with a smile.

"You guys are coming back?" Brendan beamed with happiness. "When? How? I thought you were settled back on Johto."

"It's just a little trip, we are not moving back to Hoenn, sadly..." His mother responded. "And when… well that is another secret."

"Come on, honey. The boy is going to lose his mind if you keep piling secret after secret." Norman patted his wife on the shoulder.

"Not telling and I forbid you of telling too!" The woman waved one finger at her husband.

"Mom, you really don't change, do you?" Brendan smiled and his mother smiled back to him.

A stern grunt sounded from behind the young man, a green Pokémon walked from behind him and poked his head on top of Brendan's left shoulder.

"Ekkisu!" Brendan's mother cheered in high spirits. "Are you taking care of my boy?"

The massive Sceptile cried out happily, jumping in front of the camera and putting his right arm around Brendan's neck. He kept growling and crying like he is doing a full report to the older woman.

"Come on, Ekkisu I want to talk to her too." Brendan tried to see the screen, but the Sceptile's leaf blade continued to block his view.

"Look dear, the boat is coming!" The older woman pointed to the side.

Norman nodded and looked back to his Pokénav. "We have to go now, but don't worry. We will call you more often."

"I will hold you on that, dad." Brendan smiled and waved one hand to the camera. Soon after the call ended and he closed his gadget. "What?" He noticed his Pokémon friend staring at him.

Ekkisu punched the air two times and gave another long look to Brendan.

"Ready for training, huh?" Brendan put his Pokénav on the grassy ground and walked in front of his Sceptile. "I'm on my boxers right now, but… You are naked too, so I guess this is fine, right?"

Ekkisu grunted and let out a little laugh. The green Pokémon posed his right arm in front of him and glared concentrated to his trainer.

"Let's do this, Ekkisu!" Brendan charged in and threw a wide punch.

As Brendan's fist came closer, Ekkisu raised his left arm and blocked the hit. The Sceptile then did a quick spin, whipping his tail forward. Brendan jumped the attack and threw a side kick coming from the side.

Pokémon and Trainer kept going on their special trainer for quite some time, and as the time passed Brendan began to fight only to not fall instead of really fight back.

Being out of breath, Brendan ceased to attack at all. He waited patiently for Ekkisu to strike, and as his friend charged in, the trainer slid below the swinging arm and aimed for the red line on the Sceptile's belly.

"Ha, got you!" Brendan shouted, his fist went flying up. Then a sharp green flash crossed in front of him, making a slight cut on his right cheek. "Really Ekkisu? Using your Leaf Blade?" He complained while holding one hand on his face.

Ekkisu only grunted back to him, the Pokémon resumed his normal stance waiting for Brendan's next move.

"Then take this your little cheater!" Brendan pulled a bunch of grass from the ground and threw it on his Pokémon's face. As Ekkisu's vision went dark and his movements go confused, his trainer jumped in front of him, kicking the Sceptile on the chest, making him fall backside on the grass.

"How is that?" Brendan put his hands on his waist and bragged.

A sound of applause suddenly appeared behind them. Brendan quickly turned just to see Zinnia standing in front of the main door, but at least she is using a bit more clothes now.

"So your special training is going full on fist fight with your Pokémon?" She asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Hah… Ha. Only with Ekkisu. With this we both stand on form and ready for anything." As Brendan responded, his Sceptile walked to his side and grunted in response too. "But I win most of the times." He said with a wide grin.

And just like that, Ekkisu's long tail swept around the grass, hitting his trainer on his legs and dropping him on the ground.

"Ow! Really funny…" Brendan scratched his back and frowned at his green friend.

Zinnia burst out in a fit of laugher, making little Aster laugh together with her. "You are crazy, you know that?"

Brendan looked at the woman and smiled. "Look who's talking." His smile turned into a full laugher.

The early morning turned out as a really eventful time, but if every day turned to be like this, the young champion would never complain.

* * *


	3. In a bit of Rush

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

Brendan got down on one knee and patted Aster's head with one hand. "You be a good girl, okay?" He then got back up and smiled to his little friend, while trying his best to not show any sign of sadness to her.

"Mur, Mur!" Aster jumped happily a few times in front of him and then turned away, walking with haste towards Zinnia.

The woman picked her little girl and put the tiny ball of a Pokémon in front of her, on top of the Salamence. "She's always a good girl, right Aster?" Zinnia gave a soft pinch on one of Aster's ears.

"Mur, Mum!" Aster cried loudly, swinging her head to the sides.

"You take care too." Brendan waved to Zinnia, a genuine smile showing on his lips. "It was good to see you again."

"Yeah, I enjoyed my night here too." She replied with a wide grin. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"That will be hard, considering that I'm always strange." The Pokémon Champion ran one hand on the end of his long hair, making a goofy face. "But maybe I can make an exception… Just for Aster."

"You really are cute, you know that?" The Draconid woman smiled and shook her head. "If Only I didn't had stuff to do, I could just stay here with you."

"No thanks." Brendan laughed nervously. "Nothing of good can come of a guy and a girl sharing a house, like this…"

"Hahah, I was thinking of some bad things we could do under that roof." Zinnia laughed and patted her Salamence on the back. "I guess we are totally in sync on that."

With a mighty roar, the blue dragon ascended to the sky, carrying his trainer and the little Whismur on his back.

"See you later, Aster…" Brendan lowered his head, finally expressing his sadness with a dry smile. "And you too, crazy woman."

A few beeping sounds coming from the device on his pocket, got Bredan's attention. He pulled his Pokénav out and noticed a new message waiting for him.

' _A new challenger is entering the halls. Battle against the Elite Four will commence at any moment.'_

"Another one, huh?" Brendan looked towards the big tower, south of his house. "Maybe I will get to battle someone again."

With the wild visitor gone and Aster leaving together with her, the champion's life is set to change, in one way or another. But, for now, his day starts on the same peaceful way as before.

* * *

Deep beneath a cave on the sea of Lilycove City, a new group of people is slowly filling the empty spaces left by the now scattered Team Magma. A new organization coming to life within the ashes of the destroyed Team Rocket. After the crushing defeat against the now legendary Pokémon Trainer Red, Giovanni has finally found his new purpose and the right people to drive forward his will.

The mastermind of the new Team Rainbow Rocket, is currently sitting in front of his desk, analyzing all the data and personal files gathered around him. While Giovanni is busy scheming the next step on his plans, the grunt members are relentlessly working on changing their new occupied base to a proper and respectable state.

A couple of knocks sounded on the metal door catching Giovanni's attention. "You may enter." He said with a stern voice, putting a handful of papers down on the table.

With their leader's command, a mysterious person entered the room slowly pacing his steps as they walked inside. "You called, boss?" The shadowy figure said with a cool masculine voice, the man hiding himself beneath a large and dark coat, which with the help of the dark lighting of the place, is completely hiding his face and features.

"Yes I called, but not only you." Giovanni responded with an annoyed expression. "Where are the others?" He carefully watched the man's figure as he asked.

"Don't need to trouble your big heart with this, boss." Responded the man. "They are all coming, just a bit of delay on the way, you know… the usual stuff."

Giovanni relaxed his expression and turned his chair around, facing completely away from his underling. "That maybe be true, but I don't have the time nor the patience to wait another week for their arrival." He stretched his right arm to the side, reaching with his hand a cup of wine sitting on the desk. "So you will have to do this alone for now."

A few chuckles escaped the robed man's mouth. "Then lucky you that I was the one to arrive early, huh?"

The boss man turned his seat around and gave a fierce, burning glare to the other man. "Rush, I will not accept failures, do you hear me?"

The man called Rush pulled the hood from his head, revealing a bright pale skin, a light moss-green somewhat long spiked hair, going as far as his shoulders, shining emerald eyes and a large overconfident smirk. "I hear you, boss. This will be a walk in the park, like always."

Taking a large sip from his wine cup, Giovanni closed his eyes and sighed. "I have chosen you because of how strong and skilled you are. But your personality is always such a trouble." He placed the cup back on the table and stood up from his large chair. "The target is not a simple trainer. He is the Hoenn champion, take this seriously."

"To me that is just a simple Pokémon trainer." Rush frowned and rubbed his left cheek. "You worry too much, boss. Is not like this guy is Red or anything like that."

This time Giovanni was the one to let out a little chuckle, he closed his eyes and got a very vivid image from his past flashing in his mind. "I once underestimated a trainer and that led me and my organization to our ruin. Remember, even Red was a nobody before he became what he is today." He walked forward and patted his young underling on his left shoulder. "But like I said, the target is already a Pokémon champion. Don't, underestimate, him."

This time Rush didn't said any funny remark back, instead he only eyed his master on the eyes and nodded. "I will do as you command, master Giovanni." With a swift change of behavior, the young green-haired trainer nodded his head one last time and walked out of the room.

Giovanni watched through the windows as his promising new follower left the corridor with a new found determination. He then went back to his large padded chair, taking hold of the papers in front of him. "This time… I will change the world." His eyes stared at a particular piece of paper with a picture of a young Brendan in his mid-teen years on it. "And I will start with you, guardian of Hoenn."

* * *

After a little disappointment on the league's halls, Brendan took a time for himself and walked over to a little café on the center of Ever Grande City.

"Welcome, please enter-" The owner of the shop walked over, she is an older woman with grey hair. As soon as she landed eyes on the young man entering, a warm smile crossed her face. "Good job at work today." She said with a soft and caring voice.

"Thank you." Brendan said rubbing his left cheek with one finger, a shy smile shining on his lips.

"I have your table reserved for you." She pointed to the far corner of the café, a little hidden spot close to the wall and the back windows, with a small table and two chairs. Perfect for anyone that doesn't like to stand out.

Ever since he became the Champion of Hoenn, Brendan spends a few minutes of his days on this place. He found this little shop by chance as he tried to find a safe place to hide form a dire storm; now this is like his second house, and the owner takes great pleasure of recieving the young man here to for having lunch at her store.

As per usual, he quickly walked over to his spot, sitting one the chair closest to the wall, having a giant window on his left side. Since he is always here, Brendan doesn't even need to order his food anymore, because it takes no more than a few moments to the old owner to show up with a tray full of all kind of different dishes for him.

"Here, something for your appetite." The old woman appeared with a small cup of tea.

"Black tea?" Brendan smiled after getting close to the scent of fresh tea. "Thank you, granny Gin."

"Oh you, don't mention it." The woman smiled chirpily and took a seat on the free chair in front of Brendan. "Say kiddo, would you do a favor for old granny Gin?"

"For you? Anything." He replied back.

"See that young boy over there?" Gin turned just a bit to the side, pointed to a table on the other side of the building. "He is such a cutie pie and a really passionate kid about Pokémon." She turned over and leaned in closer to Brendan. "I heard he is a big fan of a certain Pokémon trainer, who just happen to come to my shop every day."

Brendan tilted his chair to the side and eyed the spot where she pointed before. A young boy is happily chatting with his mother, they both enjoying their meal while a little Aron is lying on the seat next to the boy.

"Want me to go and say hi to him?" Brendan asked a bit unsure.

"That would be lovely." Gin giggled and clapped her hands. "I will leave you to it and go prepare your special order." She gave him a quick wink and quickly disappeared towards the kitchen.

With a low sigh, Brendan got up from him seat and slowly walked over to the boy's table. "Uhm… Hi." Brendan said a bit awkwardly, as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry to bother, but I would like to speak with you for a few moments. If that is not a problem."

The boy looked upwards and then froze on his seat, his mouth agape. The mother looked a bit annoyed at first, but as her eyes landed on Brendan's features, her expression changed to a very eager smile.

"Oh my, is not a bother at all." The young woman said happily. "Would you like to have a seat?"

"M-m-m-m-MOM!" The boy yelled ever so high. "He is, he is!" Unable to talk properly, the young trainer shuffled around on his big backpack and took a bit old magazine, showing it to his mother. "Look!"

A very big picture of Brendan is showing at the cover of the magazine, with a bright text in golden colors on top of it. 'The new Pokémon champion is a dashing young man!' This is a picture they took of him almost three years ago, his hair was still short and he was using a very wild and daring costume for his contest presentation.

"The Champion?!" The woman eyed him with a new found curiosity. "She clapped her hands together and smiled to her son.

The boy jumped out of his chair, almost launching himself to the ceiling. He landed in front of Brendan, his eyes shining and his lips trembling. "It's you, The Champion! I can't believe it!" All the commotion was enough to wake up the little white and grey Pokémon sleeping on the chair. Aron jumped down on the ground and began to run around his trainer.

"You can call me Brendan." Brendan kneeled in front of the boy and smiled. "What's your name?" He raised his right hand in front of the little trainer.

"It's T-Tim." Still trembling without control, the boy did his best to raise his hand and reach out to Brendan's in a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Tim." Responded Brendan, which made the boy squeal in return.

Tim looked to his mother with a big wide grin, then he lowered his head and all his excitement died out.

"What's wrong sweetie? Aren't you happy that you met your hero?" His mother said with a calm voice.

"But mom, if Brendan is here… Then big brother didn't make to the end." Tim said almost crying.

'Big brother?' Brendan eyed the kid at bit closer and noticed something familiar about him. "Your brother is a young trainer with a blue cap and brown shirt?" He asked the boy.

"Yeah. Did you see him?" He asked back with a bit of hope.

Brendan nodded, a short grin appearing on his lips. "I saw him battle the Elite Four just earlier. It's a shame he couldn't pass, but he is a great trainer. You should feel proud of him."

"Eric lost?" The mother let out a sigh. "So that is why he is taking so long to come back…" She got up and walked over to her youngest son. "We came to Ever Grand to support him, he said that he would become the new champion for sure. Poor boy, he is probably feeling guilty and doesn't want to tell us that he lost."

"There is no shame in losing, that only makes you stronger." Brendan said with a stern voice. "He should feel proud that he could challenge the strongest of Hoenn, and next he should muster his courage to go even higher."

Little Tim's eyes sparkled with inspiration, the boy could only stare in awe at Brendan.

"And you?" Brendan pointed to the boy. "Do you want to be the champion some day?" He asked with a chirp smirk.

"Yes, I do!" The boy replied with a loud voice.

"Then let me test your strength." The young man raised his left arm and held the palm of his hand in front of the boy. "Punch me with all you got."

The boy eyed his mother, feeling a bit unsure. The woman smiled and nodded, giving Tim enough courage to do exactly as Brendan said. His fist flew at his idol's hand and then a smacking sound echoed around them.

"Hm…" Brendan looked at him with a serious gaze. "Now command your Pokémon to head butt my hand.

Tim nodded and pointed forward. "Aron, use **Tackle** " The little steel Pokémon cried out happily and jumped forward, smacking his head against Brendan's hand.

"Yeah, I can see a lot of promise on you two." Brendan nodded with a serious face. "If you train with dedication and take very good care of your Pokémon friends, you will be even stronger than me."

"Really?" Tim asked, his eyes shining with so much joy that almost looked like he was starting to cry. "Did you heard him, mom?"

"I sure did, sweetie." The woman patted her son's head. "Why don't we go and find your brother, to give him the good news?"

"Okay." Tim nodded and turned to leave. "Oh, Good bye Brendan." He waved one hand, a really big smile on his lips. Then he dashed out of the building, the little Aron following him close behind.

"He really is energetic, isn't he?" She said, watching through the windows her little boy jumping with joy outside. "Thank you for being so kind to him." She took three steps forward and leaned over, kissing Brendan softly on his left cheek. With that, the young mother ran outside, meeting with her son. Both quickly walking away in search of the big brother.

"You sure have a kind heart, don't you?" A soft elderly voice sounded from behind. "The boy is over the moon with happiness and If my old sight is not failing me, I think the mother was also very pleased with your presence." Gin tapped Brendan's back and laughed. "You can't spend a day without making a lady fall for you, can you?"

Her comment made the young man blush and shake his head. "Come on granny, is not like that. Beside when was the last time I made someone fall for me?"

"You can play dumb all you want, but I know how women thinks…" The grey haired woman eyed him and sighed. "Or maybe you are just plain dumb, hohoho."

* * *

"Come on Brendan, it will not be that bad." Steven said with a chuckle. "I talk with experience on this."

"I… I don't know. I like it here, it's nice and cozy." Brendan pointed to his house right behind of him. "And no trouble and way less people."

"No, not this time." The light steel-haired man shook his head. "Last time I let you convince me, but this time we are going… Trust me, you need a bit of distraction."

Brendan tried to argue against it for a few more minutes, but in the end, he got dragged by Steven to Slateport City, he was not really dragged all the way there, they flied on Latios to the bustling port city.

They landed on the clear sands of the beach, Brendan patted his blue Pokémon friend on his head and dismissed him; and with that Latios flew away to do whatever he was doing before Steven called him with Brendan's Eon Flute.

"Can you feel it?" Steven said closing his eyes. "Even the air here is different."

"More polluted?" Brendan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"More human energy… Stop being a downer." The former champion snapped his fingers two times and did a spin, turning to face the city. "Let's see what we can find here, with so much interesting things around, anything can happen."

Brendan did not respond, he only followed his friend while staring at his back with suspicious eyes. As they entered the bright stone streets, the abnormal amount of people walking around got his attention.

"Is there anything happening here?" Brendan noticed on the corner of his eyes a few new stalls on the open market area.

"Very observant of you." Steven smiled. "They are holding a festival here today, a celebration about the new season that is starting."

"A festival to celebrate fall?" Brendan let out a few chuckles, but as his gaze followed all the people laughing and having fun, his reaction changed to a sincere smile. "Maybe this is not that bad."

"Right?" Steven laughed sincerely. "Come, let's check inside the market square."

Squeezing their way between a few people, they walked in to the center of the festivities. Steven quickly 'disappeared' towards a stall selling very rare and sparkling rocks. Brendan on the other hand made a quick tour between a few vendors and interesting shops, a little nostalgic feeling taking over him.

"Look mom, dad. They have Pokémon plush." A little girl ran past Brendan, she is holding a large candy on one hand and a little Mudkip doll on the other one. Their parents walking side by side, holding their hands together and watching their little daughter waving one hand happily.

Just for a moment, he saw a little version of himself doing something very similar and then his parents following after him. "I really liked this kind of stuff, huh?" With a bittersweet smile, Brendan walked over to the candy stall and got one of the really big swirl lollipops. And just like he gone back to being a little boy again, he began to lose himself on the sugar filled nostalgia.

"Brendan?!" A very familiar voice called him from behind, a voice that Brendan could never forget, and just from hearing again his heart began to ache.

Still holding the tip of the lollipop with his lips, Brendan slowly turned his head to the side and got a full view of the girl calling out to him. "May?" He said back, his teeth clenching on the candy inside his mouth.

"Hah, I didn't know that you had a sweet tooth." May said with a warm smile.

Just then he noticed how ridiculous he looks like with the giant and colorful candy hanging on his mouth. "Ah, no… I don't like candy that much." Brendan quickly pulled the lollipop away, trying to hide it behind him.

May stared at him with curious, wondering eyes. She held her hands behind her back and began to swing back and forward, like a little girl would do. "Can we talk?" She said with a pleading voice.

Surprised and a bit confused, Brendan only nodded his head. He narrowed his eyes and lowered his head, quietly following the young woman out of the market square, going towards the lighthouse area. They sat together on the steps going upwards to the lighthouse. A few other people hanging out close to the shore, most of them are couples enjoying the cool breeze of the late afternoon.

For a moment there was only silence between them, Brendan kept his gaze away from the woman at sitting by his side. While May watched his face with the corner of her eye. "Aster is not with you today?" She asked, finally making him look to her.

"No, she… is not living with me anymore. Her mother came back and they left together." His face showed a pained expression as he spoke.

"Her mother?!" May's mind went away, imagining a big female Exploud showing up on Brendan's front door.

Her confused gaze made him let out a little chuckle. "Her real trainer, but they are so close that it feels more like mother and daughter." Brendan explained. "This trainer helped me with something and when everything was over, she left Aster behind to go on a journey by herself."

"Oh, so it's a girl." May said back. "Are you two close?" She asked with interest.

"Not really, I know her, but nothing much pass that." He scratched the back of his head, messing with his hair. "Ah… I really miss Aster and not even a day has passed since she left."

"Hm… I didn't know that Aster had a 'mother'. But I always knew that she has a father." May raised her hand and with one finger poked Brendan on his left cheek. Then she trailed her hand a bit to the side, slightly running the tip of her fingers on Brendan's long hair. "Why did you let your hair grow up like this?"

Brendan got a bit startled by her question, he pulled a bit away from her and looked to the other side. "I just forgot to cut and it ended up like this." Using one hand, he calmly pulled his hair together and arranging it on loose ponytail.

"I like it, it's very pretty." May said with a wide smile.

To her simple and sincere compliment, Brendan could only nod back in response, a shy smile showing on his lips.

"How do I look?" She asked with an amused grin. "Come on, look at me."

His eyes wandered back to her, his gaze losing itself on her figure. His heart began to beat fast and his hand slowly sliding forward trying to reach out to her. 'She is even more beautiful than before…' Brendan leaned just an inch closer to her, his eyes never leaving her warm gaze.

"Brendan?" May asked, tilting her head to the side.

"You look amazing." He said with a smile, getting out of the trance. His response making the young woman blush and giggle.

"I missed this, you know?" May jumped to the side, bumping her shoulder onto his left arm. "Talking away or just spending some time next to you… I really missed this." She placed one hand on top of his.

Once again, Brendan stared onto her eyes. "May…" His heart crying out to him, pleading for him to reach over and embrace her.

"Yesterday I was talking with Wally about this." She said with a happy grin. May had no malicious intention on her comment, but didn't stop it from being an unfortunate one.

With a sudden movement, Brendan jumped away from her, getting back on his feet. He took three steps forward, gazing to the ocean with a conflicted expression. 'What I am doing here?' Brendan scold himself mentally, remembering the events of a few years ago. "Sorry, I should go." Feeling a familiar pain in his heart, the champion began to slowly walk away.

"Brendan!" May jumped from the stony steps were she was sitting, a worried expression showing on her face. She attempted to run after him, but her legs would not move, just like the day when he walked away from her life. "Can we talk again?" Holding one hand in front of her chest, she mustered all her courage to ask this.

Her words made him stop on his tracks. Brendan took his Pokénav out of his pocket and began to type something.

A few moments later, May's own Pokénav made a beeping sound. She received a new message from a very old and familiar ID. Inside is a little happy sticker with an image of a tiny Pokémon.

"It's the same number, I never changed it." Brendan said as he put his device away. "Whenever you feel like it, just call me." Brendan turned to look at her, a wide and warm smile on his lips. "I will answer every time." Waving his right hand one last time, Brendan walked away, leaving May by herself in front of the lighthouse.

She clenched her Pokénav, bringing it close to her face. A few tears falling down on the dark screen, but different from last time, those are tears of joy. With a silly grin on her lips, May began to type away on her Pokénav, calling to someone important to her.

The screen lit up with a brighter light, someone appearing on the screen. "Oh, hello." Wally answered with a smile. "How are you doing May?"

"Wally… I found him." The woman said with an energetic voice. "I met Brendan again."

At first the young man with green hair seemed a bit troubled by the news, but quickly his lips parted in a friendly smile. "Why don't you tell me everything over a dinner?"

May laughed and nodded. "I would love to."

* * *

It was short, but impactful. Meeting May again shook Brendan to his core, he found himself confused, sad, happy, and most of all conflicted with his own thoughts. He looked to the busy festival in front of him, but now he has almost no desire to go back there. So instead, the young champion turned away from the gathering and walked towards north end of the city, going to the route 110 exit.

"Look who I found." An unfamiliar voice to Brendan, sounded from the side. "I just wanted to have a bit of fun on the festival, but I guess I got lucky."

Brendan turned over, his gaze meeting the figure of a young man with spiked green hair. "Can I help you?" He asked more of courtesy, as he has no mood to waste time with a stranger now.

"If you could, that would be great. The name is Rush by the way." The man took a step forward, taking a Poké ball out of his long coat. "So champion of Hoenn, Could you please lay down and let me kidnap you?"

Brendan glared at Rush, this is the worse time possible for a weirdo guy to show up in front of him. Normally he would gracefully step away and let the stranger be, but something is wrong with this guy and Brendan can feel it. He brought his hand to his pants' pockets and cursed softly, with all the hastiness and with Steven dragging him away, Brendan has only one Poké ball with him. "It's just you and me then." He pulled the Poké ball out and prepared himself for battle.

Rush shook his head, but a very pleased smirk showing up on his lips. "Haha. Well looks like I will have to beat you up first. Fine by me, it's more fun this way."

* * *


	4. Let me Take you Away!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _Little by little the pieces of the plot are going to get together, but why rush things, right?_

* * *

"Let's have some fun!" Rush threw one of his Poké balls to the air. "Cut them to pieces, Drapion!" A grumpy pink scorpion Pokémon landed on the ground, angrily glaring at his trainer's rival.

"I don't have time for this…" Brendan threw the only Poké ball he is carrying with him. "Go with all you have, Ekkisu." His mighty Sceptile appeared in front of him, showing the usual stoic look on his eyes.

"Hoo… so that is the famous Sceptile that cleaves any opponent out of combat." Rush let out a smile full of evil intent. "Drapion use **Cross Poison**!"

With a hissing sound, Drapion held both arms up and dashed towards his opponent Pokémon.

"Ekkisu, use **X-Scissor**." Brendan said with a low voice, a frown starting to appear on his expression.

With a sole grunt, Ekkisu jumped forward and met the pink scorpion poison claws with his powered leaf blades. Both attack clashed against one another, but while Drapion was sent sliding backwards on the stony street, Ekkisu stood still on the same place like he didn't felt the impact.

"Don't stop pushing!" The young man with mossy-green hair commanded. "Jump at him and use **X-Scissor**."

With a determined growl, Drapion ran his way back to his enemy and then jumped as high as he could, crashing down swinging his claws in a fast movement.

" **Giga Impact**." This time Brendan only called out the movement, making his Sceptile take just one step back and them rush upwards into the pink scorpion.

Ekkisu exploded left elbow on the pink Pokémon's head, sending Drapion flying down to the ground.

"That… that's perfect!" Rush glared at Brendan, a strange excitement shining on his eyes. "You may not be him, but you can serve as a brief replacement… You can take it, can't you?" He slowly slid his left hand down to his robe's pocket and pulled another Poké ball. "My anger that is." Another Poké Ball flied to the air, calling out another Pokémon into the battle.

A large and imposing Rampardos landed beside Drapion. Brendan quickly noticed both Pokémon walking forward instead of only one of them. "Are you going to play dirty?" He finally took a step forward, glaring angrily at the other man.

"Hahah. You really expect me to play by the rules?" Rush shook his head, a silly smirk on his lips. "I will do anything to win." He then ran one hand on his hair, taunting Brendan with an angry glare. "But why are you complaining? Just call out another one of your team members, can't be that hard."

Rampardos dashed towards Ekkisu and even without any commands, the rock-type Pokémon jumped forward, trying to hit the Sceptile's torso with a **Head Smash.** Raising his left arm up, Ekkisu blocked his opponent attack, using his leaf blades. However, even after blocking it, he got pushed away by Rampardos' brute force.

"See, the mighty champion can be felled." Rush said with a short laugh. "Rampardos use **Head Smash** , Drapion use **Venoshock**. Both of you, attack him at the same time!"

Drapion was the first to ran in and spit a wave of poisonous liquid towards his opponent. In a quick reflex Ekkisu jumped to the side to avoid the sticky attack and as he feet landed on the ground, the large Rampardos was already on top of him and wasting no time, the black dinosaur Pokémon exploded the top of his head onto Ekkisu's leftside.

Brendan clenched his fists at the sight of his close and dear friend growling in pain as his body flew to the ground. He then put his right hand on the deep pocket on the side of his pants, his fingers touching a small but very precious item that he always has with him.

"Just one more and he is ours!" Rush yelled full of energy. At this point all the commotion being made by their battle is starting to get people's attention, with more and more of them stopping their leisure time at the festival to see what is happening. "Drapion, Rampadros; Repeat that combo, let's bring him down!"

And just like last time, Drapion ran in first, spiting his poisonous wave towards Ekkisu, who still is lying on the ground, and Rampardos already started to make his rampaging charge onwards his opponent.

Brendan pulled his hand out of his pocket and raised his arm high up. "Just like before, we will never stay down." The little stone on his hand began to shine with a bright light. "Ekkisu the victory will be ours. Use **Leaf Storm**!"

A dome of light engulfed Brendan's Sceptile and with a mighty, deafening roar; Ekkisu ascended to his Mega Evolution. The sheer pressure of his transformation pushed the poison wave away from him and as Rampardos came crashing down on top of his left arm, a massive storm of leaves exploded around Ekkisu, sending the rampaging black Pokémon flying away.

"Now, take the smaller one out. Use **X-Scissor**!" Brendan shouted with all his might, making his partner roar in response.

Ekkisu dashed so fast towards Drapion that it was like he had vanished from his spot and appeared on top of the pink scorpion. Giving no time for his opponent to react, the invincible Mega Scepitle unleashed a barrage of slashes using his leaf blades.

Drapion tried to withstand the never ending wave of attacks, but his body quickly gave out and the poison Pokémon fell down to the ground, completely out of combat.

"Tsk, full of surprises aren't you?" Rush called his Drapion back and quickly pulled another Poké ball from his pockets. "But I'm not done yet. Druddigon smash that thing out of my way."

A blue dragon with a red head appeared in front of Rush, a menacing gaze on the Pokémon's eyes.

Ekkisu resumed his stance, letting out a single grunt as he readied his arms to another attack.

"Why don't we change things up for a bit?" Rush said with a malicious grin. "Rampardos, use **Fire Blast**." He said with a stern voice. However, this time, he raised his left arm and pointed to a nearby house.

"You wouldn't…" Brendan said with a harsh voice.

"No? Watch me." Rush replied with a smirk. "Go Rampardos."

Rampardos let out a powerful and frightening roar, then the black dinosaur turned away from his opponent an unleashed a giant wave of fire onto the house.

"EKKISU!" Brendan shouted in desperation, swinging his right arm wildly to the side.

The massive Mega Sceptile wasted no time and dashed from his spot towards the house. His speed was fast enough for him to outrun the fire blast and let him jump in front of it, receiving the full attack head on.

The crowd around the two trainer went into a fit of panic, people began to scream and ran in fear, after witnessing the insane actions of the mysterious man.

"Druddigon, NOW!" Rush shouted loudly. "Crush him with **Outrage**!"

The blue dragon roared even higher than his dinosaur comrade. Falling into a frenzied state, he started his attack without taking a single step forward, instead he jumped all the way to Ekkisu and began to stomp and swing his arms furiously onto the Mega Sceptile.

"Ekkisu push him away with **Leaf Storm**!" Brendan shouted swinging one hand forward.

The Mega Sceptile raised both arms up and prepared to unleash his attack, while guarding his body from Druddigon onslaught.

"Rampardos use **Head Smash**!" Rush shouted even louder.

Before Ekkisu could push the blue dragon away, Rampardos rushed in, smashing his head against the Mega Sceptile's torso in a devastating attack. The impact made Ekkisu fly far back and hit his back on a house's wall.

"Hahaha. I expected more from you, Champion." With a defiant smirk, Rush walked close to his Pokémon and pointed forward. "But enough playing around; Rampardos, Druddigon, let's end this!"

In no time both meanlooking Pokémon are already on top of Ekkisu, unleashing a combination of unending barrage of attacks.

"EEKKISUUUU!" Brendan clenched his fists so hard that his nails are almost tearing the flesh on the palm of his hands. Seeing his close friend being beat up with no path to escape, is a nightmarish sight for him. With no regards for his safety, Brendan began to run at full speed towards the battle, but from the corner of his eyes, a familiar shadow gliding on the ground caught his attention.

'He stopped?' Rush eyed him with curiosity. 'I was sure that he would jump in…' The green-haired man took a few steps forward. "What's the matter champion? You don't care that your precious friend is getting hammered down?"

Brendan shifted his gaze to his opponent; his eyes are shooting a burning glare filled with rage. "You… Ah, is not even worth it." In a fast motion, he raised his hand upwards and pressed two fingers on his lips. A sonorous whistle echoed all around them, the sound going as high as the clouds.

From the sky a shade descended in a sonic like speed, a bright steel light shone on its way back and with a wild and explosive gush of winds, a gracious pair of wings crashed on top of Druddigon sending the dragon Pokémon flying as far back as the trees on route 110.

"What?!" Rush stood froze in place, his eyes glancing to all side. The man completely confused with what just happened.

After being free from the dragon's Outrage attacks, Ekkisu finally found enough space to blow Rampardos away, and then the Mega Sceptile jumped from his spot and landed in front of his trainer. Ekkisu glanced behind him and did a simple nod. Heavy breathes escaping his mouth and various bruises showing on his body.

"You hurt my friend… And you can't even imagine how angry I'm right now." Brendan said with a cold voice. "But more importantly, you've pissed her off." As he finished speaking, a big Swellow landed on his left shoulder.

"So the bird appears… Again, you're so full of surprises." Rush said with a smile. "Hmph… I guess that was a bit too much of playing with my food, right?" The young man glanced around them, more and more people appearing from the sides to watch the ongoing battle. 'Now I have zero percent chances of winning, that is unless…'

Both Rampardos and Druddigon slowly made their way back to Rush, stopping in front of their trainer and glaring furiously towards Ekkisu and Layla.

"I hate to do this, but I have a mission to accomplish… Okay I don't hate it." Rush snapped his fingers and then pointed forward, his finger aiming at the crowd to Brendan's right side. "Rampardos use **Fire Blast**!"

'Again with this.' Brendan looked to his Sceptile and frowned. "Ekkisu, please."

Ekkisu let out a grunt and jumped towards the massive fire wave, guarding himself with both arms in front of him.

"Druddigon cleave him in half, use **Dragon Claw**."

"Layla!" Brendan only called out her name and his Swellow flapped her wings furiously and charged towards the blue dragon.

A powerful fiery explosion erupted from his side, the attack making Ekkisu stumble and fall down to the ground.

'To use such dirty tricks… I will never forgive him.' Brendan's blood began to boil with rage, making him bit his lower lip. The champion then turned his gaze back to Rush, but for his surprise the strange trainer is already on top of him, throwing both arms around Brendan's body.

"Hahah, so easy." Rush pulled his right arm up and put his hand on Brendan's neck. "All guardians always fall so easy when their emotions get to them." He forced his body down trying to bring his opponent to the ground with him.

In response, Brendan stomped the ground with his right foot, getting enough support to pull up his own body and Rush.

"Well, almost all guardians. That one from Johto is a different case, a different beast if you will…" With another quick movement, Rush swung his right leg onto Brendan's left thigh, almost forcing the champion to fall. "Goddamn, you really are strong aren't you?"

"I will never fall to someone like you." Brendan turned in a quick spin, freeing himself just enough to be the one grabbing Rush instead.

"We will see about that." Rush made an effort with all his strength, wrapping his right arm on Brendan's neck again and tossing his left arm up, grasping the champion by his hair. "Rampardos, **GIGA IMPACT**!"

A mighty roar sounded in front of them. Rampardos held his head low and with two fast and powerful stomps, he began to charge forward. Running at full speed, the black dinosaur jumped in, smashing the top of his head onto Brendan's body. The impact was so big, that Rush himself went spinning on the air, while Brendan went flying away, bashing his back on a light pole.

A deafening screech escaped Ekkisu's mouth. The Mega Sceptile found a new source of strength, a blinding and berserker rage. He stood up from the ground and as if his body is not feeling a terrible pain, Ekkisu jumped forward, smashing his long tail on top of Rampardos's head. In a single strike, the black dinosaur is now out of battle.

"What a crazy Pokémon, haha." Rush pulled two Poké balls out of his robe's pockets. "Rampardos, Druddigon, come back. This is enough." Clenching onto something, hiding on his right hand, Rush called out his Pokémon and quickly vanished towards the northern exit of the town.

With the threat now gone, Ekkisu reverted to his normal form and fell to the ground completely exhausted and very hurt from the intense battle. Layla landed on his side, watching the Sceptile closely while keeping a watch over her trainer that is lying on the ground on the other side of the street.

"Oi, Brendan! Hey!" Steven pushed his way from inside the huge crowd. "I got distract for a few minutes and you go on a party?" The former champion said with a worried grin, his eyes scanning his friend's body, a few deep red bruises getting his attention. "Come on, we need to get you to a hospital."

"No!" Brendan slapped Steven's hand away. "Ekkisu… take him to a Pokémon center first. He is in a worse condition than m-" A fierce pain made him writhe on the ground, a large amount of blood escaping his mouth from a sudden cough. "Just… take… Ekkisu." Brendan closed his eyes and fell face flat on the ground.

"Brendan, BRENDAN!" Steven grabbed his friend by his shoulders and pulled him closer. "Can someone explain to me; WHAT HAPPENED HERE?"

* * *

After a surprising turn of events on his peaceful afternoon, The Champion of Hoenn is lying down on a soft bed, his entire body is throbbing with an echoing pain, which is so strong that manage to awaken him from his deep sleep. Hissing softly in pain, Brendan slowly began to open his eyes, his gaze landing on the white clear wall on the left of his bed.

Running one hand over his body, he noticed that while he still is wearing his pants, someone else took off all the rest.

"Where… am I?" He shifted his gaze upwards and then to the other side.

He can at least recognize that he is on a hospital room, the white walls and the lack of much more furniture, beside his bed, being a clear giveaway. Brendan can hear a few voices chatting away outside on the hallway, but the ambience around him is like a little place devoid of sounds, taken by a frightening silence.

"Just like always." Brendan tried to stand up, but the pain on his chest forced him to lay down again. "I'm a-"

"Alone?" A curious voice sounded from the right. "You didn't think that I would leave you here all by yourself, did you?"

Ignoring his aching body, Brendan turned to the side, his eyes getting a glimpse of Steven sitting on big patted armchair, on the corner of the room. Just a bit away from the former champion, stands a proud and beautiful Swellow that with a proud stance, is keeping watch in front of the open windows of the left-side wall.

"Ekkisu...?" Brendan asked with a low voice.

"He is fine." Steven replied. He grabbed a Poké ball from his pocket and displayed it in front of him. With a soft sigh, Steven stood up from his seat and slowly walked towards the bed. "I know how much they mean to you." After reaching Brendan, Steven placed the small ball on his friend's lap.

"Thank you." Brendan looked upwards, giving a pained, but warm, smile to his friend. He is holding Ekkisu's Poké ball with his right hand, keeping it close to his chest.

"Don't mention it." Steven reciprocated the same warm smile back to him. "So, how are you feeling?"

Brendan hissed in pain, forcing his upper body to stand up. He then leaned his back on the bed's headboard. "Feels like I got hit by a truck."

"Hahah. It was a Rampardos, but close enough, I guess." Suddenly Steven expression changed from his friendly usual way, to a more serious and angry one. "Who attacked you?"

Brendan shook his head, his long hair swinging in front of his chest. "Dunno. The only thing he said was his name. It is Rush, if I remember correctly."

"Another criminal organization?" Steven pondered with one hand on his chin. Then something struck him on his mind, making the man with steel-silver hair show a frown on his forehead. "Forgive me; if I hadn't dragged you to that festival, nothing of this would have happened."

Brendan let out a little laugh. "Don't blame yourself about this." Brendan said with a calm voice, his eyes staring at Steven. "He was after me. The fact that I went to that festival only sped up his plans a little bit."

This got Steven a bit shocked in surprise. He closed both eyes and now placed his right hand on his forehead. "Someone going specifically after you, huh… That could be real trouble and if his demonstration yesterday is something that he does often, this could be really dangerous too."

"Yesterday?!" Brendan asked. He almost jumped out of the bed after hearing that bit.

"Hm? Yeah, you have slept for quite some time." Steven clapped one hand on his left cheek and let out a short smirk. "That reminds me of something." With that said, he turned away and walked towards the room entrance. With a quick spin of the handle, he opened the door and eyed to someone waiting outside. "Hey, Brendan is awake now."

Didn't take long to a young woman quickly storm her way inside the room. "Brendan!" May dashed at full speed to the bed, throwing her arms around Brendan's neck.

"Ow, ow. May… calm down, please." Brendan hissed loudly in pain. The weight of her body pressing against him is making his chest almost explode in pain.

"Don't ask me to calm down." She replied angrily with teary eyes. "You almost gave us a heart attack."

"Us?" Brendan asked curiously, his eyes instantly shifting to Steven standing next to the open door.

"Yeah…" She said quietly. May slowly backed away, putting her left hand on her right arm.

"Hi Brendan." A young man with tea-green hair walked in. "Long time no see."

"Hey there, Wally." Brendan replied. He has a strange smile on his lips. While he is actually happy to see Wally again, for some reason, he can't really show it to him.

"You look like something the Meowth dragged in." Wally stepped closer to the bed, his eyes wandered to Brendan's chest and a frown immediately appeared as he saw the large red bruise on his friend's skin. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, this is nothing." Brendan tapped his chest, something that regretted at the same moment as a mind numbing pain struck on his body again. "Ye-yeah… remind me of never doing that again."

"The doctor said that you didn't broke anything. You only got a few bruises and pained muscles." Steven said. "Which is incredible considering how you got hurt."

"Incredible is an understatement. What are you made of?" Wally said with a silly grin. "I gotta say, I always knew that you are someone special, but to take a large Pokémon head on…" Once again his eyes travelled to Brendan's chest and then to his arms. "Geez, that body is made out of steel or something?"

May followed Wally's lead, and began to stare at her ex-boyfriend's body; her face quickly turned bright red. Even before, she only got a few rare chances to see him without shirt, but now he is completely different from before; His muscles are all well-defined and his body is a lot stronger and toned than before. In addition, for some reason, that not even the young woman herself knows, her gaze can't simply part away with the sight of his abdomen.

Brendan ran one hand on the back of his head, a little laugh escaping his lips, making him hiss of pain. "Even if that Rampardos got a good hit on me, Ekkisu hits a lot harder than him." He said as if it was the most normal thing on the world. "You can say that I'm used to get bruised by a fierce Pokémon." Brendan raised his right arm, showing a fairly recent cut scar on his skin.

"What?..." Wally stared at Brendan with disbelief. "You spar with your Pokémon? What kind of training is that?"

"Why not?" Brendan replied with a serious face. "Ekkisu is my friend and when we train together, we stand as equal in front of each other."

Those words made Wally flinch; he clinched his hands and lowered his head. "So you can see someone as your equal, huh?" He shook his head, making his green hair swing on his forehead. "That's new."

This time, Brendan was the one starting to get annoyed by his friend's words. "What do you mean?" He pressed himself upwards, taking his back away from the support of the headboard.

Wally stomped forward boldly, a fiery determination on his eyes. "You really can't tell?" He said almost yelling. "Brendan look at the people around you, look at May-"

"Wally stop!" May stepped in, pulling the green-haired man by his left arm. "Please, not now."

"Let him speak." Brendan said firmly. "Come on, say what you want- ah… damn it." In the heat of the moment, he forced himself up even more, making his body explode in pain, forcing him down to the bed.

Wally even attempted on continuing with his rant, but after a long breath, he backed off and looked to the side.

"Okay, I think this is enough for now…" Steven was the one to step in this time. "I can't really understand what is going on here, but let's save this for later okay?" He looked to Wally and then to Brendan. "You should get a little bit more rest, to let that wound heal up."

Brendan looked at Steven and nodded. He pulled the bed sheet up, covering his body again and laying his head down on the pillow.

"Come on, later you guys can have a conversation about this." Steven said with a calm voice.

With that, the former Champion walked out of the room. Wally and May following right after him.

"Have a good rest and heal, okay?" May turned for a moment to look at Brendan again. Then she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Brendan stared at the door, his expression showing a certain discomfort with what just happened. "Look at her…" Brendan clicked his tongue. "So rude to tell me that, when she is looking towards you not me." With a strange feeling of rejection setting in, Brendan closed his eyes and focused his mind on the only purpose of not thinking anymore. With the cold silence coming back again, it took only but a few moment for him to fall into a deep sleep again; taking away from his head everything that he didn't wanted to think about anymore.

* * *

" _Look at me!" May cried out loudly. "Why Brendan? I am even on your life anymore? I'm even important to you?" Large tears escaping her eyes, the girl is biting her lips with a devastated expression on her face._

" _May I love you, but this is my job, I have to do this." Brendan felt a sting on his heart as he looked at her. "I can't ignore my duty to Hoenn. I'm the League Champion of Hoenn, this is what I have chosen to be."_

" _So to you, strangers are more important than me?" May brushed the tears away, a fake smile appearing on her lips. "You're the worse. You really are the worse." She felt her body tremble with anger, his heart screaming in pain. "I love you Brendan, I love you… but I can't take this anymore."_

_Brendan reached his hands out to her, an ill feeling surging on his chest. However, May slapped his hands away "May?" Brendan asked confused._

" _No, don't." She said hurt, her eyes red and tears flowing down again. "You are never here for me, never…" May bit her lips again and clenched her hands. "When I feel lonely, when I want someone with me you are never there… but Wally is." Her words shook Brendan's to his core, and she noticed that. "He embraces me, he comforts me… I would never be feeling so miserable if I was dating him instead of you."_

_What she is saying hit Brendan like a rock, It hurt so bad, like a knife was piercing though his heart. 'Are they going out behind my back? Is she cheating on me with him?' Brendan glared at her, his head going a thousand miles per minute. "Then why are you with me?" He yelled without much thought. "Wally is perfect isn't he? Then go after him." The newly crowned champion turned around, an angry scowl on his face and heavy tears rolling down from his eyes. "If pursuing my dream is a bad thing for you, then go have a happy life with your precious Wally."_

_In a devil-like haste, Brendan began to stomp away from her, walking towards the darkness of the forest, away from the lights of Littleroot town. With each step, his heart hurts more, at each step he feels himself sinking onto the shadows._

With a loud and heavy gasp, Brendan jumped up, waking himself from his nightmare. A now familiar pain welcoming him back to reality. "Those memories again…" He eyed to his left side and what he saw make his heart sink even lower. Wally and May are sitting next to close to one another, sharing the same large chair, both sleeping soundly leaning their shoulders against each other.

A few knocks sounded from the large windows on far back wall. "Hey… open up." A woman is pressing her hands on the glass, smiling widely to Brendan. Is very hard to identify exactly whom that is, because of the darkness from the midnight sky outside.

"What the…" Feeling a lot less pain than on the morning, Brendan got up from his soft bed and walked closer to that window. "Zinnia? What are you doing here?" He quickly pushed them open and noticed that they are on the fifth floor and that Zinnia is riding her Salamence that is quietly drifting on the air.

Zinnia jumped inside the room. Bumping her head onto Brendan's left arm. "I heard that you got hurt by a crazy guy, so I came to check up on you."

"How did you heard about that so fast?" Brendan eyed her with a raised eyebrow. "And I'm really surprise that you came all the way to Slateport city just to see me."

"I said to you before, you are really famous. So there is a bunch of reporter downstairs covering the whole story." Zinnia eyed him up and down, glancing at his bruised chest. "And don't sound so surprise; I would go anywhere to see this cute face of yours. Oh and we are not in Slateport."

"Mauville?" He asked, completely ignoring the part about reporters or the remark about his face.

"Rustboro." Zinnia replied looking at May and Wally sleeping on the corner. "Hm… does that lovely scene has anything to do with that grumpy face that you had a moment ago?"

"You can say that." For his own surprise, Brendan smiled as he said that. For some reason he feels comfortable around this woman, comfortable enough to talk even about this.

"I see…" Zinnia threw a few dirty glares to them. "It's true that someone tried to kidnap you?" She turned her gaze back to Brendan as he asked.

"Geez, how the reporters know about that too?" He scratched the back of his head and looked to the open windows behind him. "Yeah, a strange guy came to me and said something stupid like _lay down and let me kidnap you_."

Zinnia stomped her right feet on the ground, the sound almost waking up the two sleep heads on the large seat. "I can't stand that." She said seriously angry. "Come on, we have to make this right." She began to pull Brendan by his right hand, guiding him away to her Salamence.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Brendan asked confused. The soft touch of her hand making his heart get a lot warmer than before.

"We are doing! And we are going away, right now!" Zinnia said with a pout. "I can't let anyone else kidnap you. Only I can steal you and I'm going to do just that." She grabbed his pieces of clothes laying on a small table and tossed them to him.

Brendan caught his clothes and while offering no resistance, he let the woman carry him away and drop him on top of her blue dragon. As she jumped on top of the Salamence, she sounded a low whistle making her Pokémon fly away to the sky.

"Here!" Zinnia grabbed Brendan's arms and wrapped them around her waist. "Hold tight, we are going at full speed."

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Layla closely following them on the air."To where?" Brendan did as she said and pressed himself even more against her, the palm of his hands feeling her thin and well-defined belly through the soft fabric of her shirt. A sensation that feels so good and warming, that Brendan would not mind to stay like this for a few more minutes.

"That is a surprise." Zinnia turned her face to the side, looking at Brendan with the corner of her eye. A bright and wide smirk on her lips.

After someone attempted to take him away just a day ago, Brendan is now a victim of another kidnap. However, this time the culprit is a beautiful woman with crazy ideas. While he has no clue what will happen on the next hours, somewhere in his heart, he is eagerly looking forward to it.

* * *


	5. A Lovely Time on Nowhere

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

After a little trip around Hoenn's sky, they finally reached the place where Zinnia wanted to take the young champion; she gave no explanation to why they are here, she only nodded to him and jumped down on the reclusive island. Brendan jumped from Salamance's back, his bare feet landing on soft and clear sands. He glanced the scenery around him, the pure and serene moonlight raying down on them, making the seawater appear to be a crystal mirror shining away with beauty.

This piece of scenery is a very small and remote island. A few and scattered palm trees dot the sands, and a couple of aquatic Pokémon occasionally hops out of the water and spend a little time on the wet sands. A place like this feels almost unreal, on how natural and disconnect it feels from the rest of the world.

Brendan took a moment to feel the sensation of the warm sand on his toes; he let out a little grin and looked to the expansive blue sea in front of him. "This place feels nice. Where are we?" He gave a side-glance to her, asking with a bit of fake disinterest.

Layla swooped in, landing on the other side of the little island. She eyed her trainer from after and after checking that he is safe, Layla sat down on the sand, feeling cozy and warm, the big Swellow laid down, getting ready to sleep.

Zinnia kicked the sand on the air, and then she jumped to the side, letting the yellow dust fly past her. She did a quick turn, a big grin on his lips. "We are nowhere." She replied with a genuine tone of voice.

Her response made Brendan tilt his head; he eyed her with a curious expression. "Nowhere isn't a place." He responded with a joking tone himself. "I'm pretty sure I saw Sootopolis City when we were flying, but I don't recognize this place."

Zinnia waved her hands, calling him to approach her, to which Brendan quickly complied; he walked slowly, pacing his steps and watching her with curious eyes.

"This is my secret lair." She raised her right arm and tapped his forehead with two fingers. "No one will find you here, the perfect spot for hiding away." She turned to the sea and began to laugh away with joy.

"You're sounding like a real criminal." He said in a jest. "Now what? We stand here and watch the sea?"

"Nop, not the sea." Zinnia turned, grabbed his arm and pulled both of them down to the sands. "The sky is far better, right?" She pointed upwards to the endless dark ocean with dotting lights, that is the sky at night.

Following suit, Brendan stood in place and together with Zinnia; he watched the sparkling star's lights. "Yeah, this is better." He said peacefully. This scene and the calm atmosphere are so soothing that Brendan's body is slowly forgetting the faint pain still pinching his torso.

"Hehe, I knew that you would love it." Zinnia boasted proudly. "Is good to take some time away and just stare upwards to the sky. Tell me, when was the last time that you did this?" She drifted her eyes away from the stars, glancing to the young man beside her.

"To tell the truth… five days ago." He responded to her.

"What…?" The draconid woman looked disappointed with his answer.

"Haha, I was just talking with Aster, when Naito and Layla landed next to us. Then Ekkisu showed up too." Brendan sat up, his eyes in line with the sea, but not looking at anything specific. "Didn't take much time for a lot more Pokémon to show up, we ended up staying there watching the stars and having fun."

"Say Brendan; why every time you talk about the things you do, there are only Pokémon with you." She watched as Brendan's expression turned from happy to troubled. "I mean, I love Pokémon too, but…"

"They don't leave you, no matter what happens." Brendan said with a dry voice. He crossed his arms on top of his knees and laid his chin on top of them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sour the mood."

"I don't mind." Zinnia showed a gentle smile to him. "Look, this is nowhere." She pointed behind her, to the middle of the tiny island. "What we say on nowhere stays here. So if you want to talk about it, I'll listen."

Brendan looked to her; his eyes went up and down, measuring her up. He opened his mouth, but only a little whisper escaped his lips. The troubled memories tried to come up, but they faded away, his words tried to reach out, but they are stuck on his throat.

"Is about that girl? The one that I saw sleeping at the hospital?" Zinnia asked, breaking the silence between them.

Brendan flinched at her words; he frowned and shot a few glares to the sand in front of him.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I will not push you." The draconid woman said with a sorry little smile.

"She was my girlfriend." Brendan responded, much to Zinnia's surprise. "We broke up a few years ago… I broke too, on the inside."

For a few moments, they both stop talking. Brendan kept staring down biting his lips, while Zinnia is quietly watching him, eagerly waiting for him to take another step and open himself to her.

Brendan raised his head and glanced to the side, Zinnias intense gaze made him sigh and shake his head. "May was the first friend I met here in Hoenn and the closest one too. Took little time for me to fall head over heels in love with her. She is an amazing girl."

The sincere and saddened smile on his lips stung quite a bit for Zinnia. For the little time she has spent with Brendan, she has never seen him with that expression. 'If she is so great, why aren't you with her right now?' She thought of saying that just to see his reaction, but deep inside she knew that would only make him sad or angry.

"I always tried to reach a high standard and I wanted to be the best, for her and for Hoenn. May was my support, the reason why I could go as high as the sky…" He looked upwards to the stars, a faint glow on his eyes, a few tears threating to come out. "That just made it all worse, when she just came up to me and basically said that she was cheating on me with my best friend."

The look on his eyes was so hurt and lonely, that made Zinnia feel a sting on her chest. "She cheated on you?" She spat angrily. "Then that bitch is not as great as you thought she was."

"It was my fault." Brendan said. "I don't get… I don't really get it. But when she told me that, she said that it was my fault, that I left her behind. She said that I loved my ambition of being a champion more than I loved her."

"And you believed that?" The draconic woman asked puzzled. "She could easily be blaming you for her own fuck-up."

"I did. I do." Brendan responded. He looked to Zinnia and smiled. "That was the last time I wholehearted believed someone."

"Still not fair…" Zinnia lowered her head, looking down to her feet. "You know what? It's her loss." She glanced to Brendan, a big grin on her lips.

"Sorry to bring the mood down." He scratched his left cheek with one finger. "But, enough about me. So mysterious Zinnia, do you have any cool story from your adventures? A love story, perhaps?"

"Mysterious, pfft… Hahaha." The draconid woman leaned into the side and slapped Brendan on the arm. "Well, my grandiose champion, I do have a few stories to share."

"Love stories…?" Brendan now leaned in closer, giving a dirty look to her.

"I will get to that, shut up! It's my time to talk about my tales." Zinnia pushed him away, waving both hands, shooing the young man away, so he would not lean in closer again.

Brendan only nodded and smiled. He leaned a bit backward, supporting himself with his elbows on the sand.

"Anyway… after you helped me deal with the meteor, I decided to travel to many places and meet a whole lot of new people." Zinnia shook her head, her red eyes sparkling as a few memories came back to her. "You will not believe this, but my first attempt to explore a cool new place, I ended up trapped with a crazy investigator and his pursuit of a criminal gang lurking on a place called Veilstone City."

"That's quite fitting actually." Brendan threw a smirk at her way. "You're the only person I could picture falling right into trouble the moment you arrived on new lands."

An angry snort was the first answer she gave to his smart remark. "I don't always look for trouble, far from it, mind you." She glared to him and pouted. "I've made friends, discovered a lot of Pokémon that were new to me. I even tried to make a few connections… with a guy, I met."

"Boyfriend connections?" Brendan asked with curiosity.

"Hell yeah!" Zinnia boasted proudly but quickly deflated and tilted to the side. "Kind of, we didn't go that far."

"What happened? You scared the poor guy?" He eyed her with a funny expression, a mixture of sad and sarcastic tone on his voice.

"I will have you know that he was very interested in me." She grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it at Brendan's legs. "He was really sweet and kind, but it didn't feel right to me."

"Why is that?" Brendan asked seriously, dropping his playful manner.

"Because on my free and alone time, I thought more about you than I thought about him." For the first time, Zinnia avoided Brendan's gaze, out of embarrassment. At this moment, she can only guess what expression he has right now. "It was not fair to him." She said in a low voice, almost whispering on her breathe.

"Yeah… I suppose so." Brendan continued to watch her, his mind racing about something that he could not quite understand. "Zinnia, why do you feel like that about me?" He asked without much ceremony.

"Don't ask me something like that with a straight face, you jerk." Zinnia said in complaint, but as she turned her head to face Brendan, a bright smile is adorning her face. "I can't quite explain why, but after Sky Pillar, you never left my thoughts." She glided her way on the sand, moving really close to Brendan, placing her right hand on top of his left one. "I always wondered how you were doing, if you were the same cute and kind guy I meet all those years ago or if you had become so famous that you had changed somehow."

"Did I change?" Brendan twirled his hand around, wrapping his fingers around hers.

"Ha! Imagine my surprise when I came back to find you hiding away on a secluded house and with very long hair to top it off." She felt his arm filching and noticed his eyes averting away from her. With a quick response, the draconid woman reached upwards with her free hand, running her fingers on his hair. "You didn't change, Brendan. Even if you push yourself away from other people, you still share your kindness with the Pokémon around you."

Her words echoed within the young man's chest. A tingling sensation fuzzing inside of him, making his heart race with a feeling he made sure to never it feel again.

Taking the next step, Zinnia leaned in closer pushing her upper body against his torso. "And I really like your new hairstyle." She grinned as she approached her mark; she felt the warm sensation of his breathe grazing her skin. Inch by inch, she moved ever so close, her heart racing and her mind going numb, then her lips finally reached to his.

Zinnia moved her left arm around his back, pressing herself even more against him. She moved her mouth, never leaving his lips, her tongue exploring, searching for his. Warm, wet and full of passion, a first kiss powerful enough to leave an everlasting feeling on both of them.

With one last peck on the lips, Zinnia pulled herself away from him, a very satisfied smirk on her expression.

Brendan looked a bit conflicted, even though he has a smirk even bigger than hers, on his eyes a very clear sign of doubts is showing up. "Zinnia is this something that we should keep in here… on nowhere?" He asked a bit afraid of the answer.

"You decide." She replied simply. "If you disliked it, we can just forget this and leave at that. But if you want to."

Brendan leaned in this time; he locked his lips on hers again, sharing an even deeper and longer kiss with her. "Screw the rules of nowhere."

His bold acting got the girl by surprise, yet a pleasant surprise. "Yeah, screw those." Zinnia jumped on top of Brendan, this time with enough force to tackle him to the ground. "But I want to do a little something else before we disregard the rules."

"Hm? What is that?" Brendan asked, while trying to endure the little pinches and tickles she is throwing at his sides.

"Well, that shall remain a secret…" Zinnia kissed his left cheek, pressing her breasts against him. "Just for the two of us, here on nowhere."

* * *

Giovanni tapped his table with the tip of a pencil, and each knock on the wooden surface his mood is getting worse. He glanced at the clock at the wall, and the passing hours making even harder for him to control his temper. Then the stepping sounds of someone walking down the hallway, announcing that his long wait has finally ended.

Rush pushed the door open and with an afraid look in his eyes, he entered his boss office. "I'm back, boss." He said barely looking to Giovanni.

"I hope you have something very… very important and convincing to tell me." Giovanni glared at his underling, making Rush jump. "You disappeared for more than two days, and I can't see the Champion accompanying you, no! In fact, I had to see the aftermath of your little attempt by the local media and how you turned this man into a bigger hero to them."

"Boss calm down, I only ran into him by chance and I took the opportunity to make my move." Rush tried to explain, a bit of desperation in his voice. "He was like a lost kid, so unaware of his surroundings. I had to take my chance."

"And you failed!" Giovanni yelled angrily. "I said to not underestimate this man and yet you have chosen to do just that."

"I didn't come back empty handed." Rush said with a scowl in his face. "I will take responsibility for my mistakes. I failed to see that man's talents, but I didn't fail completely on my mission."

"Elaborate." The team leader calmed down a little; he ran two fingers on his forehead, making a circle massage on his aching head.

"When we fought, and I mean we even come close quarter fight." The young man showed a few bruises on his arms and the damages on his clothes. "In the middle of all that I managed to get something from him. It's true that I couldn't kidnap the Hoenn's Champion, but I brought a part of him back with me."

"A part of him?" Giovanni's rage finally died out completely. "What is it? Where is it?"

"I took it to the guys downstairs; they are working on it right now." Rush said with confidence. "Believe me, boss, it will work. Our plain is still in course."

"You're very optimistic, Rush." The team rainbow-rocket turned his chair around, looking away from the young man. "Even if this works, the real Champion is still free out there and even more famous now. How do you propose that we could make this work?"

"Think with me, the more trusted and loved he is by the people of Hoenn, the bigger the impact of our plan." Rush said with a spark of ingenuity in his eyes. "When I get him out of the way, the chaos will be unstoppable."

Giovanni turned back, a genuine smile on his lips. "It seems that you really do have a way to salvage this. Tell the rest to start the next phase; you may leave now."

"As you wish, Boss." Rush gave a quick salutation and a sigh of relief. He then turned around and began to make his leave.

"Rush!" Giovanni called him out, making his underling stop and look at him. "I will leave the mask to you."

"Boss…" Rush felt an immense sense of accomplishment, he felt that his skills are being truly recognized by his leader. "I shall not disappoint you, master Giovanni."

"I will hold you to that statement." Giovanni once again turned his chair away, making him face the back wall of his large room. "For the time being let the Grunts run freely on Hoenn, but don't make your next move. Let's wait until the other enforcers arrive."

* * *

Their morning began as much eventful as ever and while this is a far cry from what Brendan is accustomed to. On the first rays of sunlight, the draconid girl started to ask him to accompany her to Mauville City; at first, Brendan rolled his eyes and disliked the idea. However, after a fierce persistence on her part, the young champion finally gave up.

Flying at Salamance's back, they quickly flew towards Ever Grande first, as Brendan desperately wanted to take a bath and put proper clothes, what he didn't expect was a certain draconid woman's attempted to barge in on his bathroom butt naked while he was taking a shower.

After a few more banter and provocation on Zinnia's part, Brendan prepared himself not only wearing his nicest clothes but also taking with him almost the entirety of his official Pokémon team, a little safeguard to prevent another situation like the one in Slateport. With that, they hop back on Salamance's back and flew down to the busy city of Mauville.

"Come on, Brendan, you are too slow." Zinnia giggles happily, as she pulls the young champion by his arm, leading him away down the streets.

"It's normal to feel a bit slow in the morning, especially after everything that happened." Brendan let out a large yawn. "How can you have so much energy, we barely slept last night?"

"I don't know about you, but I slept nicely, even if was for a short time." She grinned as she said that. "Look, a lot of people are going there." She pointed forward, to a little shop at the end of the street.

"Yeah, that is a given." Brendan replied. "Crooner's Café is a very famous place."

"We should hurry up; maybe we can get still get a table for ourselves." Zinnia began to run towards the Café, pulling Brendan with her.

A few pairs of curious eyes watched intensely as the young couple skipped their way on Mauville.

"Did you see that?" Asked a woman in awe.

"Who's that?" The man at her side asked confused.

"I can't believe you." She said disapprovingly. "Hurry, we are going to miss them." She rushed away in the streets, going hastily after Brendan; her partner followed after her, still confused but certain that she has found a good story.

"Heeey! Wait a minute, please!" She shouted loudly, getting the attention of everyone on the streets, Brendan and Zinnia included.

The draconid woman turned around a not amused look on her face. "Are you talking with us?" She asked a bit annoyed.

"Yes, I am!" The woman said happily, as she catches up with them. She then shifted her attention to the young man beside Zinnia and smiled. "You are Brendan, aren't you?" She asked him.

"Hm… well, I'm Brendan." He scratched the back of his head. "Don't know if I'm the Brendan you are looking for though."

"I was right, yes!" She jumped in joy. "I know that you are the right one." She tilted her head and looked eagerly to him. "You remember me?"

Brendan raised an eyebrow, and quietly studied the woman. She is a bit tall and has a lean body, her clothes are very fashionable and yet very professional. She has a bobbed brown hair and brown, inquiring, eyes. In her right hand, she holds a small blue, white and red microphone.

"Gabby?" Brendan responded, he has a confident look on his face, but his voice came as very unsure of his answer.

"Yeah, you remember me." She smiled brightly. "And this is Ty." She pointed behind her, to the man catching up to her.

Ty is a tall man with somewhat long fuzzy dark hair, hidden under his grey cap; he has a thin goatee and an easygoing look to him. He wears long blue jeans pants, bland dark shoes, and a short-sleeved white shirt.

"Heya, kid." Ty said with a short smile.

"Hey there." Brendan waved one hand to him.

"Gosh, it has been so long since I last saw you." Gabby said. "Where you were hiding? Nah, you are probably very busy now, right? But, I so wanted to do an interview with you, can I? Please, It will not take much time." She began to shoot a barrage of words, taking little pauses between them.

"Er…" Brendan cringed a few inches back; he looked at Zinnia and shook his head unsure of what to do.

"I told you. You are very famous." Zinnia said with a huge grin on his lips.

"You probably remember how she is, but Gabby is not that bad Kid." Ty said. "Just give Gabby a couple of minutes."

"Okay… I don't mind." Brendan replied and nodded his head.

"Thank you!" Gabby jumped with joy again. "So let's start with the best. What is like to be the Champion of Hoenn, the very best of our region?"

"I think, I could describe it was an amazing experience." Brendan put a serious façade and looked straight to the camera. "Sometimes is a bit heartbreaking to see trainers saddened after a loss, but I prefer to think that I'm inspiring them to get better and stronger."

"You certainly are." The reporter clapped her hands happily. "On a more personal topic." She suddenly got a devilish grin on her lips. "Who is this pretty lady with you? Have our precious Champion got his heart captured by her?"

Brendan panicked, he looked to Zinnia and then to Gabby. This is too sudden; he doesn't know what to say. Well, he doesn't even know on what terms he and Zinnia are, so how he could respond this.

Zinnia only stared as Brendan continues to panic and stand there in silence. She could easily jump in and save him, but this is way too amusing to watch, so she decided to keep quiet and look at him with a fake concerned expression.

"Gabby, I think that was too personal." Ty said, he noticed how stiff Brendan got and felt sorry for the guy.

"Okay…" Gabby looked deflated but quickly cheered up again. "Then let's talk about that incident on Slateport's autumn festival." She pulled a few papers out of her pockets. "According to witness, a strange man attempted an attack on the city, but you fought against him. Is it true? Who was him?"

"It's true…" Brendan held his tongue before saying what he really know about that. "But I don't know him. I only know that he is dangerous and he must answer for his actions."

"And we will bring him to justice!" Zinnia jumped in, she placed her hand on Brendan's right shoulder and smiled to the camera. "Don't worry people of Hoenn; your incredible champion is on the case."

"Amazing line!" Gabby clapped cheerfully.

"Yeah, I got a great shot too." Ty nodded approvingly.

"Lastly, I know it has been a long time since our last interview. But could you say those words again?" Gabby asked with puppy eyes. "The same words you always said on our interviews."

A long and exasperated sigh escaped Brendan's lips. He dreaded the thought of the things he said as a kid, so many cringe trademarks came out of his mouth. "Erh…" He poised himself in front of the camera and very hesitantly raised his right arm, holding his fist up. "Guys, whatever dream you carry on or in any situation. Always remember…" Brendan closed his eyes and gave thumbs up to the viewers. "Just have fun!"

"Lovely!" Gabby jumped around, feeling giddy with so much happiness.

"That was a good one. Thank you, Kid." Ty gave Brendan, the thumbs up and nodded his head.

With Gabby squealing in excitement over her new interview and Ty nodding happily, the pair of reporters walked away, ready to work on their new piece, leaving Zinnia and Brendan on their own in the middle of the streets.

"Just have fun…" Zinnia snorted and arched forward. She did her best to hold the laugh in, but just as the other duo left, she could not hold in anymore. "Hahahaha, that was so sweet and innocent."

"I was a kid when I came up with that." Brendan frowned and started to walk towards the Café again. "I thought it was cool at the time…"

"Oh it is, it is. Hahaha." Zinnia charged after him, hugging him from behind. "The kids will love it when they see you on the TV."

"Oh god." Brendan froze in place. "They will put that on the TV." He took one hand to his face. "I will never leave my house again."

* * *

May and Wally started their day in a full panic. They spent their night on Brendan's hospital room, not only it was their first chance to be close with him again; they were also worried about him and someone trying to do something while he is hurt.

However, imagine their surprise, when they woke up and the bed was empty with no sight of their friend left. They looked everywhere for him and asked everyone in the building about him, yet they got not a single clue, making both of them terrified for their friend's safety.

As of now, May is sitting on the chair on Brendan's room again, looking on her Pokénav, while Wally went downstairs again to look for him one more time.

"Brendan… Where are you?" May said, she looked at the reflection on the dark screen of her gadget, she looks horrible; her eyes are red and large bags under them, her hair is messy and her make-up is not on the best condition either. But nothing of that matters now, she can only things about Brendan.

Wally opened the door and walked in; he looked a May and shook his head. "No one saw him." He said with a dry voice. "How could this happen? We can't lose a person like this."

"You think that someone came in here and took him?" May asked, her head hanging low.

"That can't be… We would hear it, wouldn't we?" Wally scratched the back of his head. He walked towards the bed and placed his left hand on the bedsheets. "Dammit, what happened?"

"Wally!" May said loudly, her voice almost going on a higher pitch. "Look at this!" She pointed to her Pokénav.

Wally did as she asked and looked at the screen on her hands, a pretty reporter making a colorful entrance to her show.

 _"And today I had a very special person to interview. You guys will not believe it."_ The screen parted in two, the woman on live broadcast going to a side and a recording appearing on the other. _"Yes, that is it. The Pokémon Champion himself. Without further ado, I will let you watch this awesome interview with our awesome Brendan."_

"What?!" May and Wally shouted at the same time.

"What is Brendan doing on Mauville?" Wally asked with a shocked expression, but a relief grin on his lips.

"Who is that with him?" May noticed the woman standing next to Brendan. She watched the interview, and the more she watched, more she could see how strangely close those two are. "Is he on a date?" She asked and frowned.

"Well, at least we know that he is safe." Wally commented, he too noticed the affection between the two.

"He ditched us here… He walked away and didn't even told us that he would leave." May clenched the Pokénav on her hands. "I will not let you do this again Brendan. I will not." She turned the Pokénav off and tucked in on her pocket. She then jumped out of the bed and stomped away from the room.

"Wow… That is a reaction." Wally watched as his friend stormed out of the hospital, fuming with anger. "You still like him, huh?" He stood up and slowly walked out of the room. While not sure what he should do, for the moment, he decided only to go with May and see what she will do.

* * *


	6. Scars of Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _Sometimes music feels like magic, right? So I wanted to pour a bit of magic on this chapter. Okay, I will start by saying that I know that a some people don't like when you put Easter-eggs in the story or when you go a bit meta with the stuff. But I tend to do stuff that I like and to feel inspired by the stuff I like too. so I will ask that even if don't like when stuff from out of the "universe" gets in, to first give a chance and then you can give me your honest opinion._

Anyway, let's jump in to the story and see how this goes. (I will leave a PS at the end of the chapter, that you should probably read first before the chapter, so you can fully experience what I wanted to do here).

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Wally raised his voice in concern, but the girl in front of him barely paid attention to him. Ever since they got in Mauville, May has been wandering around furiously searching for a certain someone.

"He has to be here still, right?" She finally turned to look at Wally, his uninterested expression not helping with her bad mood. "Wally!" She said loudly.

"Well, sorry May. I'm not that interest in ruining Brendan's date with some girl." He scratched the back of his head and frowned. 'We don't even know if he is on a date.' He pointed out mentally, as to not anger her even more.

"This is not about him dating someone!" May turned away from Wally, stomping angrier and faster on her way. "We stayed with him all night. We are his friends dammit! This is no way of treating a friend."

"Are we though?" Wally stopped in his tracks, his cold words making May stop as well and shift her gaze to him. "I mean, we are. But is not that simple." He walked forward and placed one hand on her right shoulder. "Brendan made sure to avoid us for all this time, and until recently I thought it was for no reason."

"So what?" May said in an aggravated voice, she glared at her friend clearly annoyed and frustrated. "Where are you getting at Wally?"

The young man with tea-green hair leaned a bit forward getting his face very close to hers, the proximity making his heart beat slightly faster and his legs tremble for a moment. "Have you ever considered what is going in his head? Or even better, what went in his head on the day that you two fought?" He too is feeling frustrated, but not because of Brendan, not now at least. "Think about it, why would he go as far as completely ignore us? Both of us, not only you."

"He is mad with us?" She said unsure, her words coming out more as a question than an answer. "But this is too much, why would he still be angry with me or you…"

A loud sigh escaped his lips and with a soft push, Wally stepped away from her. "Forget about it." He then suddenly glanced behind the worried girl, a surprised expression showing on his face. "Isn't that Brendan?!" He more state than asked pointing with one finger behind May.

May did a quick turn, her eyes glancing full of hope and expectation. Even if she was expecting to land eyes on her ex-boyfriend, she wasn't ready for this. "What is he doing?" She asked surprised.

Before any of them could take a guess, a man fully dressed in black ran pass them, desperately running at full speed, while taking a few glances behind him.

"Stop right there, you thief!" Brendan shouted angrily. Without even noticing his friend standing by and watching as he passed, the young man ran furiously after the strange man, who started to run even faster after Brendan's agitated shout.

"Is he even human?" Wally said with a shy grin. "The doctor said he would be having a few difficulties to walk for a few days… But I guess he can run just fine."

"BRENDAN!" Another agitated voice soon echoed on the street, coming from the same path that Brendan came, Zinnia is charging her way after him whit a very upset scowl. Unlike the former runner, the draconid woman quickly noticed the young pair watching as she runs closer to them. "I know you!" She stopped on her tracks and pointed to May.

"Me?" May raised one hand and pointed a finger to herself. "Hum… Hi?" she then quickly remembered this woman's face from the interview just earlier, an instant frown appearing on her.

"Hey, hi." Wally stepped forward; he always was a sensitive person, and could easily tell when there was a bad situation in the makings. Wearing a sincere smile, he extended one hand forward in a form of friendly greetings.

"Yeah, hi." Zinnia scoffed and ignored his gesture. She eyed him up and down, and then she let out a snort of disgust. "Then, I'll be going now."

"Wait, you're going after Brendan, right?" May grabbed Zinnia's arm and stopped her before she could leave. "Maybe we can go together."

"Okay, I don't like being all subtle and beating around the bush. So I will just say this up front." Zinnia pulled her arm with force, freeing herself from May's grasp. "If you came here after him, you can just forget about it and got away. Brendan doesn't need a bitch like you next to him."

May's jaw dropped, she stared agape at the tanned woman in front of her. "Excuse me?" Slowly her surprised expression changed into one of pure anger. "Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" She stomped forward, reading her right arm to swing at Zinnia.

"Wait, calm down you two." Wally once again stepped between them; he held his friend by her arms and slowly tried to push her away.

"Say that again to me, you foul-mouthed runt." May shouted. She pushed Wally's shoulder down, so she could stare clearly at the draconid woman's face.

"I will say how many times I want, bitch." Zinnia retorted with an angry face of her own. "Forget about Brendan, you don't deserve to be close to him."

The girl with pale skin almost mounted on top of Wally, trying to get past him, she is fuming with anger, an unfamiliar emotion to her. "Again, who are you to decide that? You don't own Brendan; he is not your pet.

"I'm warning you." Zinnia shot a menacing glare, her voice getting seriously aggravated. "Stay away from him." She turned to leave, but stopped and turned to look at the pair again. "After cheating on him with the lemon boy here, you have no right to be with him." With her anger completely vented out, the draconid woman spared not a single glance more to the other girl; instead, she went ahead on her way.

"Cheated?" May finally calmed down enough making Wally release her on the ground. Then a harsh and terrible realization hit her. "He thinks that I cheated on him?"

"Probably…" Wally said in a low voice. He noticed her arms shivering and her shoulder slumbering down with the weight. "That can't be helped. May, even I would think the same."

"But I didn't." She said with teary eyes. "I would never do that, never." She covered her face with both hands, sobbing as the tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I can't believe he thinks that."

With a swift movement, Wally pulled her to a close embrace, letting May rest her head against his chest. "We don't know what the thinks for sure; we can't take that girl's words to heart." May warmed at this, taking away the hole that was forming on her chest. "However, to tell the truth, I think she is right in a way." Wally continued.

"Wally!" May pushed herself away from him and glared angrily.

"But it's the truth." He raised a finger, so May would not lash out at him before he could finish. "She doesn't want you to go near Brendan, because she is scared of you."

The young woman with blue eyes only stared in silence, feeling a bit confused but a lot better after hearing this bit. She then nodded her head, a little sign so that Wally would go on with his thoughts.

"The way I look at this, she knows that Brendan would probably waver if you showed up." He gives a little wink and a smile. "You are a kind, pretty and very warm person, that is scary to any rival. So she just made that entire scene to scare you away."

With that, May finally broke a smile, a very warm one, while rubbing the tears away from her eyes. "But that was just rude." She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't want to be close to Brendan like that. I just want to be his friend."

'Is that all May?' Wally looked at her, a fuzzy feeling stirring inside of him. 'Then why did you get so worked up about that girl and him?' He thought to himself while forgetting that his gaze was still locked on her image.

"What's wrong?" She felt a bit conscious as his gaze was ever so intense on her, a slight line of red crossing her cheeks.

"Nothing, nothing." He waved off with one hand. "I think today is a bad day for this, and I need to go back to the gym. Say, why don't we leave and come looking for Brendan another day?" He raised one hand to her. "I will walk with you home."

May took his hand and giggled. "I think that is for the best." She turned and began to walk away, pulling Wally with her. "You're the best friend ever Wally, you know that?"

Holding his head down, Wally was able to hide the pained expression on his face. "I'm not that great. Believe me." He forced a short smile to appear, but it was enough for May to not suspect a thing. Moreover, for the moment, just being close to her like this, is more than enough for him.

* * *

"Thank you, thank you!" A teenage girl clapped her hands together, jumping with joy as Brendan returned to her with two Poké Balls in his hands. "I don't know what I would have done if that man got away with stealing my friends from me."

"I only did what is right." Brendan smiled and handed the items back to her. "To think that someone would attempt to steal someone else's Pokémon."

"Sadly we have that kind of people looming around. We can never be too safe when those punks start to show their faces." Zinnia walked right behind Brendan, stopping by his side. She noticed his gaze changing towards her and then grinned at him. "But I gotta say that was amazing. I've never seen someone run so fast like you."

"Yeah, you bolted like a lightning fast Pokémon." The girl made a swoosh movement with her left hand. "That was so amazing to watch."

"Sarah!" A feminine voice called out to the girl. "Something happened to you? It's already a few minutes pass scheduled time!"

"Lisia!" Sarah jumped on her spot, looking a lot more nervous after seeing this woman. "Sorry, a strange man tried to steal my Pokémon. But this cool guy helped me get them back." She pointed to Brendan and smiled.

The sparkling gem of Sootopolis, Lisia is a beautiful and very joyful young woman. She, like her famous uncle Wallace, has turquoise colored hair and eyes, fair skin and an incredible sense of fashion. Her trademark scheme of colors for clothes are always bright and flashy, making her the center of attention every time she enters the scene.

"Brendan!" Lisia squealed loudly at the first sight of her former comrade and rival. "I can believe that I found you."

"Hey Lisia, it's good to see you too." Brendan replied with a simple wave and a polite nod.

"Good to see me? You jerk! You can't just vanish like that and be all strange with me." Lisia stomped forward and then, to everyone's surprise, she jumped at Brendan, tackling him down with a head-butt. While the scene looked tense and serious, the girl with turquoise hair has a wide smile and shining happy eyes as she attacked her friend. "That was for leaving us behind."

"Ouch… I didn't leave you guys behind." Brendan slowly got up again, her head strike remembering the current state of his body with a fierce pain on his chest. "I just moved towards my real ambition."

"Tch, you league champions are always like that." Lisia turned her face away, pouting and glaring angrily at nothing.

"Have you met many champions?" Zinnia asked with genuine curiosity.

"No." Lisia responded plainly. "But I assume they are all like this." She pointed at Brendan and turned her face away again. "Wait, who are you?" She looked at Zinnia with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Name is Zinnia." The draconid woman smiled. "I'm Brendan's bride." She walked forward and gave Lisia a firm handshake.

"Oh, nice to meet you… BRIDE?!" Lisia jumped backward, her eyes almost jumping out of their sockets.

"Ah… Lisia, shouldn't we get going?" Sarah said in a low voice. "Mister Wallace will probably get mad."

"LISIA!" Speaking of the devil, Wallace quickly appeared from the corner of the street, his head fuming after waiting alone for so long for the girls to arrive. "Oh, is this who I think it is?" The gym leader of Sootopolis tilted his head to the side, his anger completely vanishing.

"Hi, Wallace." Brendan gave him the same greeting as the one he gave Lisia.

"Hello there Brendan. It's nice to finally see you again." Wallace nodded back at him and smile. "Are you taking a little time away from the league with Lisia? I heard you two haven't spoken with each other for a while."

"Actually, he was helping me catch a thief that tried to stole my precious friends." Sarah jumped in, explaining a bit of the situation to Wallace.

"Oh, he did?" Wallace turned to the girl and nodded. "Isn't he an attentive person? Just like someone I know."

"Hey flash guy, from where do you guys know Brendan?" Zinnia called Wallace in a very unusual way and fired her question. And while all of this is going, Lisia still is frozen in place, a shocked expression stuck in her face.

"Hm? I got to know Brendan ever since he was a little trainer making his way to the league and saving the world while at it." Wallace then noticed a certain spark of curiosity in the woman's eyes, which make him grin. "However, if you are referring to him and my niece Lisia. They are old friends and Contests rivals."

"He is Lisia's Rival?!" Sarah asked surprised, she looked at Wallace and then to Brendan her jaws dropped with this sudden information.

"Not any rival, the one that defeated her." Wallace said with a nod.

"WHAAT! No way!" The teenager squealed wildly. "This is so cool."

"You used to participate in Pokémon Contests?" Zinnia looked at Brendan and tilted her head to the side. While she can't picture this Brendan doing any of that, her mind is going crazy with all the things she is imagining him doing on stage.

"Well, I used to." Brendan gave an uncertain response. "But that is in the past now."

"Really? That is a shame. I would love to see you making a performance on stage." The draconid woman said a bit dejected, having her crazy ideas taken away from her.

"THAT'S IT!" Without notice, Lisia unfroze from her trance, jumping ever so high with excitement. "We are going to Verdanturf Town; a Pokémon Contest is going to be held there today. Why don't you guys come with us?"

"Excellent idea Lisia." Wallace nodded and smiled. "If we get Brendan to show up, it's going to be a Contest to be remembered for years."

"Ehr… I don't know about that." Brendan took a step backward; he is showing an awkward little smile while trying to get away from them. "You see, I have to show something to Zinnia. She really wanted to see… my new shirt…" He slapped himself mentally for that weak excuse, not even he bought that one.

"Come on, it's going to be fun." Lisia insisted, she then turned to the draconid woman and smirked mischievously. "Zinnia, did you know that they keep all the photos from previous Contests?"

"They do?" Zinnia quickly fell to the bait.

"Yep, especially the ones from famous participants." Lisia slid a bit closer to Zinnia and hiding her mouth with the palm of her hand. "Brendan used to wear these really wild and flashy clothes. There is even one that is a lot provocative… very showy, if you know what I mean."

"We are going with you!" Zinnia shouted loudly, raising one fist to the sky.

"YES!" Lisia shouted just as loud, a victorious smile on her face.

Wallace and Sarah both smiled happily as well after hearing the good news. The only one with a dread feeling of hopelessness is Brendan. "I really don't like this…" He shrunk down to the ground, with his eyes showing a dead gaze. After so long, the past that he left behind is now crawling its way back to him, and the worst part of it; Zinnia is going to see all of it.

* * *

With a quick and very lively trip, they reached Verdanturf within minutes. Sarah went ahead of the group as she is the only one really participating in the contest and she still needs to do a lot of preparation before her presentation. The rest of the group entered the flashy building and with Lisia guiding them, they went straight to the special staff room, where all the promised photos and a lot more important stuff are kept.

Lisia wasted no time in finding a big yellow book with a hard case around it, a bit dusty and worn out after a few years locked in a drawer. "Look at this one first." She gave the book to Zinnia and sat at the couch next to her.

The draconic woman opened the book and her eyes widened at the first picture she laid eyes on. "No way." She glanced to Brendan and then back down to the album. She immediately took one hand to her mouth, trying ever so hard to hold her laugh in.

"I knew this was coming…" Brendan sighed and rolled his eyes. Still, his curiosity got the better of him and he leaned a bit closer to Zinnia in an attempt to see exactly what is in there. For his surprise is a picture of his first contest when he was a kid. On the old image, he is using a red leather jacket with silver spiky thingys on the shoulders, a black undershirt and a pair of red leather pants with black patterns on the side. He is holding a simple microphone on his right hand and a happy little Trecko is dancing at his side.

"You remember this one?" Lisia looked at him and asked.

"Yeah, I do." Brendan looked at the picture again and smiled tenderly. "It was the first time I got up on the stage. Hah, look how happy Ekkisu is while dancing." He grabbed one Poké ball out of his pockets and placed it on the floor. "Come on buddy. I will not be the only one getting made fun of."

Ekkisu came out of his Poké ball and looked at his trainer with a disinterested gaze. The big Sceptile looked around him and found a very interesting item, he quickly walked over to the left side of the spacious room and grabbed a familiar musical instrument on his hands.

"Aw, you look so cute on this one." Zinnia pointed to another photo, her face warming up at the picture. "Aster was stealing all the show, look at her."

On this one, Brendan is wearing an Azumarill's costume with Aster wearing a Marill's costume. Both trainer and Pokémon are dancing while holding tiny fluffy cords on their hands.

"Wait, it gets even better." Lisia began to flip the pages looking for a specific photo. "There we go, this is the prized one."

"NO! Not that one." Brendan lunged on top of Zinnia, trying to snatch the album away. However, much to his dismay, she was faster than him and jumped away from the couch, still holding the large book on her hands.

"Let's see what you are so afraid of." Zinnia pushed the book open again, a very eager and wide grin on her face. As the last page flipped to the side, her eyes landed on Brendan's forbidden photo, and her face went completely red.

Pictured on the piece of paper, Brendan is standing in front of the stage, he is shirtless with just a large green ribbon going from his left shoulder, down to his waist on the right side and doing a whole turn on his back. He is wearing a large pair of grey pants while standing with his bare feet on the stage's floor. On the moment of this photo, he was holding a flute on his lips as he played a song and in front of him a beautiful Swellow and an imposing Honchkrow, both in midair in a stance that resembles a coordinated low height flight or dance.

"I… I don't know why, but…" Zinnia kept staring at the photo, her face warming up even more. "But this looks amazing."

"And it was amazing indeed." Wallace walked over to the same side of the room where Ekkisu is sitting. "On that day even I voted for Brendan over my favorite niece." He took a small musical instrument from a drawer and turned over to the group. "Do you still remember? The feeling, I mean."

Brendan stood up with a conflicted expression. He saw Wallace getting closer to him and reaching over with one hand. "I do." He raised his right hand and accepted the flute that Wallace got for him.

In an instinctive manner, Brendan brought the flute to his lips. He blew a few notes on a whim, the sound that it made was not the best one at first but didn't took long for melodically rhythm to appear, a little piece of a song he once knew so well.

On the corner of the room, Ekkisu began to play on his bongos and the sound he was making was in a way complementing the one that Brendan did. The large Sceptile with a large grin on his face, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Haha, look at you Ekkisu. You don't seem so grumpy now." Brendan threw a dirty smirk to his Pokémon partner, to which Ekkisu ignored and kept playing his bongos.

"Of course my friend." Wallace jumped in; he did a quick spin in front of Brendan and then ended with a flashy pose, pointing one finger to the young man. "Music is magic, even the grumpiest one will crack a smile at the sound of pure art."

"You know Brendan, I still got your old uniform stored here somewhere." Lisia tilted to the side, glancing to Brendan with pleading eyes. "Why don't we do a quick performance on stage, for the old times?"

"Lisia, I'm can't." Brendan looked sad and a bit angry with himself as he started to talk. "This is… too much for me now."

"Non-sense." Wallace stomped one foot on the floor. "You can say that you don't want to, but that you can't? Ridiculous." He stepped closer to Brendan, glaring angrily at the champion, but then his lips parted in a warm smile. "Play with us, maybe music can appease to what is hurting your heart."

"You're coming too uncle?" Lisia asked surprised, but beaming with happiness. "Brendan, please you have to participate."

Even with a displeased expression and impending rejection, Brendan wants to. Deep inside his heart, he wants to take it all out, to stand on the stage at least one last time and on that place let go of everything that is consuming him. He bit his lips, the words that he so wants to say, never coming out until his eyes met Zinnia's gaze.

"Why don't you do it?" She asked plainly. "I will be watching, so put up a great show for me too."

And just like that, all the tension inside of him phased out. Brendan shook his head and grinned. "Ok, but I will not wear that stupid thing again. Not in a million years." He pulled another three Poké balls out of his pockets and called out the rest of his team. "Naito, Layla, Violen; I will leave you guys with Zinnia for a little while okay?"

Naito the dark blue Honchckrow cawed and flapped his wings in response. Layla, his trusted Swellow only tilted her head to the side a few times acknowledging what he said, and then Violen, his fierce Gallade nodded with his head and walked closer to Zinnia.

"Oh gosh. I can't wait, I can't wait!" Lisia jumped around, the excitement rapidly getting to her. "We are going to get the public by the surprise, they will never expect this."

"Then you better tell the staff quickly or they will start the Contest before we can even say anything." Wallace said to his niece.

"Oh yeah, the staff!" Lisia turned and dashed towards the door. "Uncle, Get everything ready, I will be back in a moment." She ran as fast as she could out into the hallway. "THIS IS SO COOL!" However, they could still hear her voice inside the room.

"This is splendid." Wallace said in joy, a wide grin on his face. "Are you ready to make history?" He asked Brendan.

"Maybe a good and memorable story?" The young champion scratched the back of his head, a little awkward smile showing up.

"Don't be silly." Wallace replied waving one hand at him. "We will make sure that they will never forget this day."

* * *

A large crowd has already gathered on the main hall of the building, something that is quite a common occurrence, all the fans of the show that is Pokémon Contests eagerly waiting for the participants to start with the show. Zinnia wasted a few good minutes trying to find an empty spot for her and the rest of Brendan's team and when she finally got a seat for herself and new companions, the giant room went almost completely dark, with only the main stage still illuminated with a single spotlight.

"Good afternoon to all of you, fans of the most beautiful and amazing show of Hoenn." A caster lady walked over to the bright spot on the stage, holding a microphone on her hand. Just her sudden appearance making the crowd go wild. "I know that all of you are eager to see our new challengers make their best efforts, but I will have to ask for your patience." Then her voice shifted to a more formal and less energetic tone. "Unfortunately we had an unforeseen event happening. But don't worry Lisia will come here personally to tell you about it." With that, all the staff worker walked out of the stage, leaving an unsettling silence behind her heels.

"Wha-what?" One person said aloud. "We won't get today's contest?" They asked confused.

"She said that Lisia will come to talk to us." Another one said right after.

"LISIA! Just that is enough to make me happy." A third one commented, but before the whole mass of people could start to make a racket, the single spotlight shut down making the whole all go into a complete veil of darkness.

The melodic sound of a guitar echoed around the large space, one of the spotlights of the stage turned on flashing light on top of Wallace. He is sitting tall stool, playing the guitar with masterful skill.

"WALLACE!" Someone on the seats yelled, but various angry hisses flared up making the person shut up.

Then a second spotlight flared light on the stage, revealing Brendan standing on the right part of the floor, a flute ready on his lips. As the notes flew out in the air, everyone present could not help but gaze agape and in awe with what they are witnessing. With a burst of light, two more spotlights flared up, revealing Lisia on the center of the stage an adorned violin on her hands and at the back a large Sceptile sitting down with bongos ready at his feet.

As an explosive rhythm came to life, so did the crowd's reaction. They began to cheer loudly, each one of them standing up from their seats. In a surprising reaction, Naito flew away from his spot, going directly to the stage, stopping just in front of Lisia. Then a pretty Altaria flew right after him, as the two bird Pokémon made eye contact, they got entranced by the song and like the most natural reaction, both of them began to fly next to each other in a dancing form.

The burs of the fans would not die down, for every magic moment that the song lasted; they all cheered and clapped in unison. All enamored by the show that they didn't even know that would happen, but everyone is incredibly glad that it did happen.

As the last cord of Wallace's guitar stopped vibrating, a huge and loud round of applause followed.

"I, what… This was amazing!" A person yelled loudly.

"Encore!" Someone else followed.

Then a third one. "I can believe I almost turned down your invite to come here. Please, Encore!"

"My. looks like they liked it a bit." Wallace said in a playful manner.

"Of course they would love. Even I am ecstatic with this."

Brendan stood in his place, his eyes going at each spot on her crowd; his heart is racing so fast and his mind going at full speed. But he never carried a more genuine and large smile on his lips that the one that he has now."

From her little spot on the sea of people, Zinnia noticed how happy and overwhelmed Brendan looks. Even her felt taken by their performance and even more, by how much Brendan seemed to shine on that stage. "You really are amazing, my champion." She whispered to herself.

The requests for an encore continued to come, the cheering never going down. "Hahaha, as spending as I imagined it would be." Wallace looked to Lisia and then to Brendan. "I'm feeling the urge to play another one, what do you guys say?"

Lisia only nodded and then jumped forward making the crowd go crazy again.

Brendan looked to Ekkisu at the back of the stage, the Sceptile nodding and smiling. He then looked for Zinnia and quickly spotted her on a far back seat. The draconid woman smiled to him and blew a little kiss, making him get a few red spots on his cheek. "Yeah… I can feel another one as well." Brendan responded to Wallace, preparing himself to start another song. And just like the master of contests and lover of arts said, this is a day that will be remembered for a long time.

* * *

 _ **PS -** The little easter-egg that I put on this story, is the song that they will play at the end of the chapter, No lyrics, so I hope that its okay for me to put it here. And just to be clear, I don't own the song, this awesomeness is all thanks to _Yasunori Mitsuda.

_First I will leave a link to the original song -_ _youtube watch?v= J46RY4PU8a8_

_And this second one, if you want to see (or listen) on how the song would be with just the musical instruments that they have here in this chapter -_ _musescore user /9405616 /scores / 5292881 (You can turn off a few instruments to get it as "accurate" as you want)_

_Well, that is about it. Enjoy the show =)_


	7. The Start of a Journey

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _Hey it's has been some time since last update... sorry about that. Well without further ado or a giant rambling on my part like last time, lets get this one started._

* * *

The news of a strange attack traveled all across Hoenn, a feeling of uneasiness began to settle around the citizens of every city of the region. Tales of two groups of criminal organizations trying to basically destroy the world still is very fresh on their mind. Now rumors of another organization showing up spread to all places. Even though this new prospect shook everyone even a tiny bit, slowly the people began to consider those rumors only… rumors.

A few strange occurrences happened here and there and some shady characters popping up in a few places, that was all that transpired in the span of eight days. Like a silent call, a calm before the storm, the region of Hoenn went back to its peaceful days, as the attack on Slateport had never happened. However, all of this is bound to change with the arrival of a few individuals. The stage is set and now with every actor present, the true avalanche that is Team Rainbow Rocket is about to fall down the mountain, washing away everything in its path.

* * *

"Ahh… so this is Hoenn?" A young man with pale skin and black hair walked around the bow of the large cruising ship. "It feels so nice in here." He closed his eyes, enjoying the kind touch of the fair winds on his face.

"Yeah, it does." Another young man with red hair said back, but unlike his companion, he stood further back, resting his back on the metallic wall behind him.

"Why are you back there? You can barely feel the winds if stand so close to the walls." The man with black hair looked towards the red-haired stern trainer. "I can hold you if you are scared." He grinned and winked, much to the annoyance of the other one.

"I'm not scared, thank you for the stupid comment." The red-haired looked to the side and snorted. "Hold me… outrageous."

"Look I can already see the beach." The energetic trainer with black hair pointed to the port getting closer by the second. "I wonder how things are going there. You know, we are kind of late."

The change of subject and the mood on his friend's voice made the red-haired look to the edge of the cruiser again. He bit his lower lip and frowned. "Don't know… we need to act fast." He pushed himself away from his support and walked all the way to the tip of the ship. "To make this right, that is why we are here." Much to his surprise, he felt a strong grip form on his back, a firm arm resting on his shoulders.

"Yeah, even if they are in deep dirty waters. We are here now." Without turning his face to the side to look at his friend, the trainer with black hair smiled, his own light shining through his confident expression.

A thunderous whistle announces the end of the oceanic trip, the passengers quickly gathered on the front of the ship, the presence of newcomers prompting the red-haired to slap his friend's arm away. With a quick spin, he walked away, vanishing inside the mass of people who instantly showed up to gaze at Hoenn's famous port city.

"Sheesh what was that?" A feminine voice sounded from the left side. "Looks like your friend is feeling a bit grumpy." A woman with long pink hair, arranged in a very fancy twin-ponytail, walked over to the dark-haired trainer.

He glanced at her and responded to her with a simple smile. "Not really, normally he would flip out for just getting that close to someone." With a slight movement of his head, he shifted his gaze to the crowd, trying to find his friend and failing at it.

Another whistle sounded from above, large cheering coming from the crowd as the ship finally arrived on its destination. The heavy metal anchor slid down exploding water to the air, fixing the cruiser in its spot.

"Looks like we are here." She said in a soft voice. "I hope we can bump into each other later." She winked and giggled. "Byee."

The young man only watched as she walked away; he has a slightly curious look in his eyes while staring at the mysterious woman. As she vanished away in the sea of people, he too walked away from his spot and towards the exit of the large ship. In the large hallway close to the large exit passage, he noticed a familiar face or more precisely, the familiar fiery red hair of his companion that is leaning with his back on the wall, arms crossed and serious expression in his face.

"Didn't expect to catch you here." While this is true, he only said it to provoke his friend. Which worked really well, the red-haired glared at him and clicked his tongue.

"And what would I do? Walk away and leave you here?" The moody youth mused at the thought. "If I didn't need you, maybe I would do that."

"Aww… you need me?" In an over exaggerated and almost theatrical movement, the young man with black hair raised one hand to his mouth and faked a surprised reaction. "That was the nicest thing you ever said to me."

"Arrg, just shut up." The red-haired snorted and slapped his forehead. With an annoyed scowl, he turned around and walked down the hallway, stepping down furiously to the port.

The pair of adventures wandered the famous tourist town, searching for any gossip or news of strange changes in the region. To their disappointment, no one was able to help in any useful way. After a few hours of walking on the usual tourist spot and talking to the locals, they decided that it was best to look for an answer somewhere else and if they got also find a nice place to spend this and other nights.

Yet in a very cliché way, their plan suffered from a little detour and it all began when they set one foot out of the city's gate.

"Hey, you!" A young and energetic boy called out to them with a loud shout. "You guys look like strong trainers." He looked to the red-haired first, and then to the other one, as his eyes landed on the second trainer, a wide smile crossed his lips. "Let's have a Pokémon battle."

"Scram kid, we don't have time for your stupid stunt." The red-haired waved the kid away with one hand.

"I accept your challenge." Pushing his serious companion aside, the spirited trainer walked over to the youngster trainer.

"You will?! Awesome! I'm in an undefeated streak." The kid smiled and rubbed the tip of his nose with one finger. "I will warn you that my Ninjask is pretty strong." He quickly grabbed a Poké-ball from the pocket of his short pants and called out his Pokémon companion.

"Woah, you got me scared now." With a short grin, the black haired trainer grabbed a Poké-Ball of his own. "Go easy on me okay?"

"No can do old man." The boy gave another chirp smirk. "I am a serious trainer and I will become the greatest bug trainer of the world." He pointed forward and stomped the grass with one foot. "So I always battle with full strength."

'That's the spirit.' The calm and serene expression faded away from the older trainer's face. "Oh, I forgot to tell you a little detail." He took one hand to the top of his head; a little sad grunt escaped his lips as the touch of his fingers missed a very precious item that he always had with him. "If you win this battle, you will be the new Pokémon Champion of Johto, is that all right with you?"

"What?" The little trainer eyed him confused with the statement.

"Ethan! You can't be serious." Silver growled overly annoyed with his companion's behavior.

"Okay, now that we have this cleared. Let's get this battle started!" Ethan tossed his Poké-ball in the air, a mighty show of light exploded in front of them, strong gushes of wind blowing the tree's branches away.

"W-wha-WHAT IS THAT?!" The youngster bug-catcher took three steps backward, his eyes almost jumping out of its sockets, his mouth agape. Never in his life had he laid eyes in a Pokémon like this.

"The one in front of you is the lord of the seas. His name is Lugia." Ethan said simply, he carefully watched his opponent reaction. While shock and surprise is a common reaction to anyone first seeing this mighty Pokémon, but another common reaction is fear. Something that makes Ethan disappointed when he sees in his matches.

"He… he… HE IS AWESOME!" Completely ignoring the start of their battle, the youngster jumped forward, dashing at Lugia. He walked all around the white legendary Pokémon, taken by awe he has the most bright smile in his lips. While Lugia is not the friendliest Pokémon in the world, he did not push the kid aside, the mighty lord of the seas only watched as the bug-catcher touched his long tail.

"Hey kid, are we going to battle or not?" Ethan called out to his opponent, he looked at the youngster with annoyed eyes, but in the inside, he could not be more pleased.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry" Hopping away from Lugia, he stopped in front of his Ninjask and nodded with confidence. "And stop calling me kid, my name is Todd."

"Sure thing Todd." Ethan grinned. "Now, let's go all out in our duel."

The battle of the aspiring to be the best bug-catcher in the world against the strongest trainer of Johto was very short, but it sure was very entertaining for Ethan and his young opponent. The champion could not help but admire Todd's courage for facing him with a smile after getting a glimpse of the beast he would battle, and the young kid quickly felt immense respect for the stranger he just met. After an impressive defeat, Todd thanked Ethan for taking his time to appease the youngster in his demands of battle and then zoomed away towards the city, looking forward to telling his friends about his battle.

Silver who watched the whole affair from a distance stared at Ethan's back with a conflicted and even hurt expression in his face. As Ethan turned back to his travel companion, he noticed the red-haired bad mood, which made him scratch the back of his head.

"Something wrong Silver?" Ethan called Lugia back and walked back to his complicated friend.

"Why did you do it?" Silver asked with a serious glare.

"Did what?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "My short battle with the kid? I just felt like it, you know to fell how the trainers are in Hoenn."

"Not that!" Silver replied with an aggravated voice. "Lugia, why did you use Lugia against him? Why against a weakling like that?"

"Ahh, that…" Ethan frowned and gazed downwards, away from Silver's eyes. "When I see a greenhorn full of energy like that, I just feel the need to push them to the limit, a need to show what the peak looks like." He moved his gaze back to Silver, his expression changing to a more serious look. "That is my way of showing respect to their determination."

"What the hell is that?" Silver jumped at Ethan, he grabbed the champion by his shirt and pulled him closer. The red-haired trainer felt angry, deject and worthless. For a moment, he only stared at his rival's eyes, not saying a single word, but just for a moment. "Then why-"

"You are a different Silver." Ethan stood his ground, his eyes returning the same intense glare that Silver is shooting him. "There are only two people that I will never use Lugia against… not again." Ethan pulled his shirt away from Silver's grasp; he turned away, letting out a low sigh. "You are not a greenhorn nor a trainer chasing after my shadow. Even if you think that for some reason." With a little turn of his head, he looked at Silver again, showing him a short smile in the corner of his mouth. "You are my rival. In every battle against you, I want to win and I face you with everything I got. However, if I win with the power of a legendary Pokémon… that victory would mean nothing."

"This sounds more like an excuse." Silver said with a lower voice.

"Maybe, and maybe it is an excuse. However, this is how a feel." Ethan said back. "This may sound a bit strange to you, mister cool lone wolf. But your rivalry is important to me; I will not ruin it as I did with the whole Red situation." In an outburst of frustration, Ethan took both hands to his head, messing wildly with his hair. "Gah dammit, now I'm annoyed as hell. Let's get moving to the next city before I lose it."

Surprised by his companion sudden yells of frustration, Silver stared at Ethan with widened eyes, then cracking up in laughter.

"What now?" Ethan growled at his rival.

"Who would ever guess that the feared Champion of Johto can lose his temper so easily?" While Silver is now making fun of Ethan, he is feeling a warm sensation deep inside. For all the times they clashed against one another and all the trash talk they have tossed in both ways, this is the first time that Ethan ever shared his real feelings over their rivalry. After feeling alone and pushed aside by others for so long, it feels so good to be acknowledged by someone, even more so if the one recognizing him is Ethan.

"Yeah, who would have guessed that you can be annoying as hell?" Ethan spat back.

"Yeah, yeah." Silver walked pass his rival, smacking him on his left shoulder. "Let's get moving then. If we get stuck in the middle of nowhere when the night falls, I will use your stupid Typlosion as a bonfire."

"You leave Flames out of this!" Ethan shouted and pointed one finger at Silver.

In a flip of roles, the pair of trainers set once again on their journey across Hoenn. Now with Silver leading the way, a content smile on his lips, with Ethan walking on the back, annoyed, frowning and pouting. Just the perfect start to an adventure, at least for one of them.

* * *

"Wake up your Slakoth." Steven's voice ringed on Brendan's head.

A massive headache echoed all around, forcing the young champion to groan. He tried to open his eyes and look at his friend, but the blinding sunlight of the early morning coming from his windows forced him to roll to the side and hide his face behind his hands. "Oh, my hurts head… wait, the other way around."

"What's up with that reaction?" Steven eyed his friend with a pitying look, but a grin on his lips. "Wait, you have a hangover? Since when do you drink alcohol?" The man with steel-blue hair shouted his surprised out, much to his friend grievance.

"Stev- Please… don't yell." Brendan groaned again, he turned his back to the bed surface and slowly opened his eyes. "What time is now?"

"Past three in the afternoon and you are still in bed." Steven raised an eyebrow as he stared at Brendan. "So I've come to pick you up."

"Three…? WAIT, THREE?" Brendan jolted upwards an action that immediately regretted as his head almost exploded in pain. "Is someone waiting in the hall of the elite four?" He asked in a panic.

"Calm down Brendan, I didn't come here in behave of the league." The former champion took a sit at the end of the bed, crossing his legs as he did. "What in the world made you lose yourself in alcohol?" He frowned for a moment, a few reasons theories forming in his head. "Any troubles?"

"You couldn't be more wrong." Brendan smiled despite the fierce pain; he leaned in closer to Steven, poking him with one elbow. "I was having a bit of celebration yesterday, and Zinnia brought a bottle of wine."

"Oh, a celebration? Good for you. What were you celebrating?"

"Dunno… I forgot what it was after the third glass of wine." Brendan fell back to his bed, groaning in pain once again. "Maybe I will ask Zinnia about it later."

"Hm… who is this Zinnia?" Steven shot a mischievous smirk to his friend. "A girlfriend maybe?"

A bright red line crossed Brendan's face; he coughed trying to disguise his shock. "Girlfriend, huh…. I think she is." He said with a low voice and blushing.

"Whoa, really?! Congratulations my friend, you deserve a good love life too." The man with a self-proclaimed vast experience in romance nodded proudly after hearing the good news. "I'm looking forward to meeting the girl who conquered the champion's dormant heart."

"You already have though. You don't remember her?" Brendan said back.

"Zinnia… Zinnia… Sorry, I can't say I remember someone with that name." Steven pondered for a second with a thumb in his lips.

"The girl with the little Whismur, from the meteoroid incident." Brendan scrambled around, looking for something at the side of his bed, didn't take long for him to find his Pokénav. He fumbled around his device for a few more moments and then turned the screen to Steven. "Here, a picture I took with her a few days ago."

Steven took the gadget at his hands and looked carefully at the image. Brendan is embracing a woman with dark hair and red eyes; both sitting on little stools close to Slateport's beach. In the photo, the young champion has a very happy smile on his lips, an expression that had become somewhat rare to Brendan on his day to day.

"AHHH, Zinnia!" Steven jumped from the bed, his eyes wide open. "That crazy woman who kept ruining things." He hissed and stomped one foot on the ground. "Are you insane Brendan?"

"Hey don't be mean to her. She is not that bad." Brendan raised his right hand up. "She only wanted to help and do good. I can vouch for her."

"I still don't approve." Steven crossed his arms in front of his chest and frowned.

"Sorry dad, but I like her. Nothing you can do here." Brendan shrugged and grinned.

"I can see that... really Brendan from all the women in the world; you had to open your little heart to a crazy woman like that." Steven's angry scowl faded away, replaced by a conformed little smile. "Just take it easy okay? Dating and having your celebrations is all fine, but don't rush some things." He tightened his eyes, giving a questioning look to Brendan. "How far did you two go?"

"Steven, come on, you're not really my father." Brendan laughed at first, but as his friend/ mentor's face did not change from his questioning look, his carefree attitude died out and his face got red again. "We had a night out… on a tiny island."

"And?" Steven pressed on.

"We kissed a few times and talked until really late at night." Brendan continued, the blush on his cheeks getting worse at each word.

"Only kissed and talked? I don't think I believe you." Steven said more joking than really doubting his friend.

"What else you expected us to do?" Brendan asked genuinely. "Isn't kissing your girlfriend what you do when you two are alone?"

"Ah, I mean… Pardon, but how old are you again?" Feeling a bit silly, Steven scratched his left cheek, shifting his gaze to the side.

"Nineteen, what of it?" Brendan responded with a bit of annoyance, he glared at Steven waiting for what else the steel-blue haired man would say.

"Really? It's so heart-warming to see how pure you are." Steven's smart comment earned him a soft white pillow crashing on his face.

Brendan jumped from the bed, fuming angrily. "You invaded my house just to make fun of me?"

"It is so fun to watch you blushing timidly with this kind of talk that for a moment I had completely forgotten why I came here." Steven grabbed Brendan by the shoulder and leaned in closer to whisper something. "What would you say to a little dinner, it's about a really important business- ahem, I mean some friends of mine would be there."

"Business?" The little slip-up from Steven gave away his real intentions, in the past, Steven has tricked Brendan to attend specifics type of get-togethers and looks like he is trying to do the same thing again. "You're just trying to use me to distract those old people again aren't you?" Brendan protested against the idea. "I still remember that last time; you just got up and vanished, while I had to keep that strange family company."

"Come on, It was not that bad. What about that lady who kept shooting you a few interested glances?" Steven tapped softly on Brendan's side with his elbow.

"She was like fifty years old or something!" Brendan pushed Steven away and jumped back in his bed. He desperately wrapped himself under his blankets, hiding away from the world. "I really, really don't want to go."

"Bummer, but I will not force you." Steven said deflated. "To be honest, I don't want to go either, hahaha. Well, I will leave you to your hangover." The former champion turned away to leave, raising one hand in a simple goodbye wave. "See you later, little pure lover."

Brendan waited until the click of the front door sounded on the living room; he then poked with his head out of the blankets, letting out a little sigh. "Before he nagged all day that I should get a girlfriend, now that I have one, he found a new reason to make fun of me." Like a kick in his back, a pained jolt came to life in his forehead, remembering the young champion about his hangover. "Gah, I will just sleep the whole day and forget that today even happened…" With a quick roll of his body, he buried himself under the comfy and warm blankets again. "Pure lover… I wonder what he means with that."

His tiredness spared him only one last thought, then sleep claimed him back. Even if Brendan wishes so, today will not go away and even if he is stuck in bed for the whole time, this day will mark the start of something that will change his life, for good or worse.

* * *

"Are the others useless clowns here yet?" A woman with a very spirited voice asked a Team Rocket grunt that was unfortunate enough to be the one greeting her.

"Yes lady Violet, but please refrain for saying something like that, it would only create animosity between our ranks." The grunt found courage enough to ask his superior for a bit more subtlety. Sadly, she showed little sympathy for this, her cold gaze daring him to say any other thing back at her.

The woman known as Violet is short and slim; she wears very colorful and bright clothes, completely different from the normal attire of a Team Rocket member. Her hair is pink and fashioned in a pretty twin-ponytail; her face carries juvenile-like features, making her façade of good girl a very good disguise.

"What is the matter in calling those clowns exact what they are? Hmph." Violet pushed her way past the grunt, walking in her characteristic hops towards the big room at the end of the hall. "Heya, Violet reporting in." She barged in, doing a quick spin as she jumped in.

"You took your time…" A stoic voice responded to her fussy entrance. The owner of this voice is a man of somewhat low height, thin body, and fair skin. His hair is jet black, cut short but clearly smooth as pure silk. He is at the far back side of the room, standing away from the rest of the group, with his back resting against the wall.

"Oh, big brother Josh!" Violet clapped her hands together and smiled at the man leaning with his back on the wall. "It's so good to see you again."

"Spare us of your theatric performance. Everyone in this room knows the snake that you are." Another man said, his voice carrying an aggressive tone even on the smallest interaction. This person is a hulking beast of a man, he is large and muscular, his eyes carry a perpetual angry look in them and his face doesn't help too much to ease his unfriendly appearance. He has a red colored tomahawk hair cut with a large scar on the left side of his head.

"Oh, Violet please don't stop. I quite like when you fake being a likable person." Rush said with a large grin.

"Why, thank you." Violet bowed slightly, returning a charming smile to him. "I also like when you fake being competent."

"What did you say?" Rush roared angrily.

"Hah, now that was a funny one." The largest member said with an evil grin.

"Rush dear, you can hardly blame Violet for pointing out your failures." A woman with a charming tone raised her voice. "To lose a battle to just one Pokémon of the guardian is just… unacceptable." This woman with the voice of an angel has an equally beautiful appearance. Her body is voluptuous; her skin is smooth and clear, with silky and long blond hair sliding down all the way to her thighs.

"Even you are going to give me trash, Leyla?" Rush glared at the blond beauty.

"So what you weakling? If are trash, you shouldn't complain about getting trashed around." The large man yelled loudly.

The young man with green hair had enough, he jumped across the room, lunging himself at the giant man. "Yeah? Care to try and back your words? You are the lowest one here, Raz."

"Lowest one, huh? Now you've done it. I will gladly tear you a new one." Raz grabbed Rush by his shirt and raised him from the ground.

"Enough, both of you." Josh demanded with a cool voice. He is resting his eyes closed, his breathing is even and calm. However, the peaceful looking man got all the others on the edge after opening his mouth to talk. "Your childish behavior is very unsightly."

Raz promptly tossed Rush down to the floor, he looked at Josh with a worried expression. "My bad…"

Rush stood up, walking over to his spot once again, throwing a few dirty looks at Raz way as he did.

"Now that we are all here, what are we waiting for?" Leyla asked.

"We are waiting for the boss." Rush responded. "He will be here in a few minutes."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Leyla grabbed a seat for herself in a fancy chair at the left corner of the room, Rush kept glaring at Raz, who glared back but refused to say or act against his companion after being warned by Josh. The silence and stoic man with black hair is standing still in his place, eyes closed and steadily breathing in a perfect rhythm.

"Oh yeah, I have some juices news." Violet raised her voice up; the silence was almost consuming her mind with boredom. "You guys will not believe this. I didn't believe when I saw it."

"Spit it out already snake. Argh… you and your little games." Raz growled with impatience.

"Geez, can't a girl have fun with her suspense?" Violet stuck her tongue out to Raz. "Anyway, like I was saying. I couldn't believe what I saw, but I saw it anyway." The energetic woman clapped her hands excitedly. "The guardian of Johto is here on Hoenn."

"What?!" A collective yell of surprised sounded inside the large room.

"Hey, Violet are you sure about this?" Rush asked frantically.

"Yep, pretty sure." She responded with a cheerful smile. "I even spoke with the guy. So nice and friendly, haha."

"Ethan…" Josh said with a grin. The stoic man opened his eyes, bright red iris glowing up as he stared at Violen. His cold gaze sending chills down the spine of the happy going woman.

"Oh, and the young boss is with him too." She finished her report with a silly grin as she was talking of Silver.

"Now that is good news. I will love to break that little traitor." Raz stormed out a burst of grim laughter.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Raz," Josh said in a warning tone. "We will not move against the young boss. That is until master Giovanni has given the order."

The double large door creaked open, the leader of the organization walking in. His lips parted in a content grin. "If he interferes with our plan in any way, you all have my permission to deal with him." Giovanni took his seat in front of a large table in the middle of the room. "Now that all my enforcers are here, it's time to change the world."

* * *

On the early evening, Steven found himself on the grim duty of accompanying a few old acquaintances in a business dinner. They are now in a group of five people, sitting on the fanciest table of the most coveted restaurant of Hoenn. While Steven insisted that they should get a private spot on the large dining hall, the others were not so keen to keep themselves away from curious eyes, which granted them the constant curious glances and gossips while they proceeded with their dinner.

"And then she was like: 'This is my last bottle of white wine.' Little did she know that we had three more on reserve." A grizzled old man busted in a fit of laughter as he told one of his tales. Two others engaged with him in a streak of loud reactions, amusing him with his hobby of sharing stories.

"Ah yes, I remember that, father." A rich woman with a fancy dress jumped in the middle of the conversation. "The face that Heleonore made when she saw the other bottles, just priceless."

Steven responded with an awkward smile, the other seemed so engrossed and interested in their talk, but it is ever so boring for the former champion. At this point, he is envying Brendan for not coming to this dreadful meeting. As the boredom got to the point of almost making him fall asleep, Steven raised from his seat in a brash hurry, making the others stare at him in surprise.

"Oh, don't mind me." He said in an elegant manner. "I need to take a little break on the restroom. I will not take long."

"That is understandable, Steven my boy. After all that wine, even I am feeling a bit full." The grizzled man acknowledged his guest needs and nodded. "But don't tarry for too long or we will drink everything before you can return." He boasted with a loud guffaw.

With a sigh of relief, Steven walked away from his table, wandering almost without aim on the restaurant's floor. For all that he cared, they could drink all the alcohol in the world, but he is taking his sweet time before going back to that boring nightmare of a meeting. He hid on the farthest corner of the place, standing behind a large pillar blocking the view to his table.

"I missed you, you know?" Steven could not help but overhear a couple talking on a table next to him.

"Yeah, yeah. Just get to the point already." The woman replied with harsh words. Steven could not help but feel sorry for the guy talking with her.

"Okay, no deviations or sweet talk then." With a defeated sigh, the man adjusted himself on his chair and reached with one hand across the table. "I really, really need you." He said with a pleading voice. "Please come with me, just like last time."

Steven could picture her reaction after hearing a loud sigh and the shifting of her legs under the table.

"What's with you and that stupid face?" She said back to the man. "Dammit I really can't say no to you, can I?"

"Haha, I knew you would come around." The man responded with a victorious and pompous tone of voice. "We are the perfect pair."

'Heh, good for you buddy.' Steven thought to himself. Feeling a bit curious about the couple, he turned his gaze to the table to get a good look at the newly reconciled couple. 'You have to be kidding me.' His jaws dropped and his eyes almost jumped out of its sockets. A mixed of confusion and repulsive feeling took over him. Sitting right next to him, having a happy and very cozy dinner with an unknown stranger, is Zinnia, the woman who Brendan so cheerfully bragged about on the morning.

* * *

_**PS -** What is Steven going to do now that he has seen Zinnia with this stranger? Good thing that Brendan passed up on the dinner or things would get really messy really fast._


	8. Ruthless, Effective, Dangerous

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _Nothing much to say this time, so let's jump straight to the new chapter._

* * *

"What do you think?" Professor Birch pointed to an impressively big pile of papers, a huge listing of his new research. "Maybe I let something pass?" He eyed his daughter with concerned eyes. His gaze kept going from May to the report pile and then back to her again.

The Pokémon professor known as Birch is a fairly chubby man, on his early forty-years. He always wears loose and comfortable clothes in combination with his long white coat. In his always-ongoing pursuit of new research, he barely spares the time to sharpen his beard or haircut, but strangely enough, this messy and yet stern look suits him very well.

"I looked at it three times already. Don't worry dad, everything is perfect." May reassured him with her special sweet voice.

"You think so?" A big smile popped on the man's lips. "This is amazing; I can finally point out how certain group of Pokémon can influence the entire eco-system of a region." His eyes sparkled in a fiery inspiration, prompting the man to clap his hands and let out a moderately loud shout.

May couldn't help herself and giggle at the sight of her father's enthusiasm. Even at his age, he gets extremely excited with every piece of good news. His little outbursts of happiness are akin to of a little child, something that she will never get tired of seeing.

"Oh May! I didn't know you were back." A woman of short brown hair closed the lab's door behind her. She quickly rushed her way inside and hugged the young researcher.

"Sorry mom, I've forgotten to pass home before coming to see dad." May said with a side grin. She hugged her mother back, pressing her left cheek on the older woman's neck.

"I don't mind. I know how your dad gets when he is close to finishing a research. Drives me crazy sometimes." The woman turned to her husband and gave him a witty smirk.

"I'm not that bad… Am I?" Birch looked at her puzzled, to him there is no difference of how he acts before, during or after a research period time.

"You are impossible." His wife replied, much to his dismay. "But I love you just like that." She parted away from her daughter and hit her own cheek with one hand. "Oh my. Here I am talking about you and I almost forgot why I ran so fast to the lab."

"Something happened?" May eyed her mother apprehensively.

The woman noticed May worried eyes and shook her head, smiling dearly to her daughter. "Something did happen, but is nothing bad." She looked at Birch and grinned. "Quite the contrary. I think you two are going to lose your minds about this."

"Honey… Could you tell us what happened? I'm getting the shakes from so much curiosity." Birch walked closer to the two women, taking his mind away from his precious mount of paper.

"Well, I went to Slateport for a little bit. I was doing a little shopping for that special spice that you like so much." She pointed at her husband. She noticed both him and May looking at her with desperate eyes, her little tale taking excessively long to get to the point. "Anyway… While I was there, I got to talk with a very energetic boy." She giggled as she remembered the little trainer who bumped into her.

"Mom, please stay focused." May interviewed before her mother could wander even farther away with her tale.

"Okay, okay, geez..." Her mother looked at her with furrowed brows and pouted. "This charming young trainer told me about his battle with a strange that came over for another region." She paused yet again just to tease those two, one last time after she got a sigh of exasperation from her husband, she continued. "Apparently, this stranger battled against him using a Pokémon called Lugia."

Birch froze in place, his toes clenching down on his sandal and his legs getting soft on their hold. "Lu-Lu-Lugia?!" The good professor shouted from the top of his lungs. "Are you sure, Lugia? The Lugia? Here in Hoenn?"

"Pretty sure, the boy was just as excited as you are right now." The professor's wife giggled holding one hand in front of her mouth.

"Wow, I never expected that someone could've tamed the lord of the seas." May said in astonishment. 'Brendan could probably capture something like Lugia.' For a moment, she imaged Brendan standing on top of a lone stone in the middle of the ocean, facing off against the legendary Pokémon.

"This is a unique opportunity! We cannot let this one pass, to see the mighty Lugia with our own eyes. Unbelievable." Birch ran to a cabinet on the far back side of his lab, he switched his comfortable sandals for a pair running shoes. "Let's go, May! We need to track this trainer."

"Wait, dad! What about your research?" She questioned her father with a surprised voice, as he prepared himself to zoom away through the door. "You are so close to finishing it."

"That can wait!" The professor said in a panic. "Imagine the things we can learn from Lugia! This is more important at the moment." Birch grabbed the door handle but stopped before he could open the doors. He looked behind him and smiled at his wife. "Honey, I will be late for dinner. I love you!" With that, he darted out of the building."

"Oooi, he also said something about the Johto Pokémon League champion." The woman sighed and smiled. "Make sure that your father will not get jumped by a wild Pokémon, okay?" She embraced her daughter again and then walked out of the lab.

"I'm supposed to be the child here…" May rolled her eyes with the situation, but the sudden change of events do not upset her. Just like her father, she also has a wild craving for learning new things about Pokémon. If she needs to 'babysit' her father for a little bit to see a legendary Pokémon from another region, that is fine by her.

* * *

Wally is sitting on the warm floor, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He tried his best to keep himself focused and meditate, but the absurd amount of noises coming from the other side of the door is impossible to ignore. He slowly opened his eyes and glared at the wooden door at the end of the room.

"Are they making a ruckus because of a strong trainer again?" For a moment memories of a very busy day flashed on his mind.

One day an especially capable young lady appeared and completely brushed aside all the trainers inside the gym, they got so worked up about this trainer that Wally himself began to look at her with different eyes. In a mix of fault from the girl's overconfidence, the trainers exalted noises and his own lack of self-restraint. The then recently appointed Gym leader opted for using his primary team of Pokémon, instead of the one he carefully prepared to face new challengers. Sadly, the talented woman stood no chance against his overly trained team, making their battle really disappointed, for her and for him.

Wally snapped back to reality as the door creaked open at a slow pace. The Gym Leader raised to his bare feet and turned his back towards the door, making the same stance the previous leader used to do when he waited to greet a new challenger. "I welcome you, challenger. My name is Wally; I'm the Gym Leader of Petalburg City."

"I can see that." A proud and stern voice replied to him, the familiarity of this voice made the young gym leader clench his fingers and widen his eyes. "Is kind of strange seeing you like that. Is like staring at a mirror."

In a fast movement, Wally turned to the other said, his lips parting in a surprised but happy smile. "Norman, you're back!" For the first time in days Wally smiled genuinely, he practically ran across the room stopping just in front of his mentor. He felt like a little kid again, his eyes shining and his hands trembling with excitement just for seeing the man he respects so much. "It's so nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too." Norman smiled at his pupil. "I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised with the things I heard about you." He placed on hand on Wally's shoulder and nodded. "The toughest and challenging Gym of Hoenn. While this complicates the order of things, is also a fresh change to our region as a whole."

The man's comment made the young trainer scratch his cheek and grinned shyly. "I'm just doing my job."

"An outstanding job from what I heard." Norman's gaze continued fixed on Wally, like searching for something on the light of his eyes. And if he had found what he was looking for, the older man closed his eyed and nodded. "I can still see it in your eyes."

"I... Don't." Wally looked to the side, completely understating what his mentor is talking. A painful topic, but a frequent one whatever they met on the past.

"Everyone needs to grow at each passing day, even I do." Norman said. "That is why I will not tell you to forget this or to change yourself. Not anymore." He pulled his hand away and opened his eyes.

With conflicted eyes, Wally stared at his master's gaze. "Are you saying that I should go on? Are you letting me face him again?" He said in confusion.

"If this is what you want, then that is what you need to do." Norman's voice got more serious and deep, in a reflection of what he used to be when teaching Wally. "However, you need to come to terms with yourself. If you need to beat Brendan, if you need to surpass him… then put everything into it. Think you can do it?"

"Hah, well. Brendan is human is he not? So he is not unbeatable." The young man with lemon hair replied with a fake little laugh, his gaze shifting to the side avoiding Norman's eyes.

"Wally look at me." Norman's voice made his pupil shudder, but he complied and raised his gaze upwards. "Even on Johto and Sinnoh people know his name, they know about him. Just like a few others, Brendan has a force in him that most can't even understand what it is." This time Norman grasped Wally's shoulders with both hands, looking firmly at his eyes. "Can you rise above that? Can you find in yourself to go above him? I will ask you another time. Do you believe that you can defeat Brendan?"

"I don't… I think…" The scene of Brendan walking away and leaving him behind on the sea of flowers came into his mind. Wally bit his lower lip and frowned. "No."

"No?" Norman asked. A tinge of disappointment showing on his voice.

"Doesn't matter what I say. I can shout for everyone to hear that I will beat him, in the end, that doesn't really matter." Wally finally smiled, his expression serene and clear of any doubt. "So no, I don't think that I can beat Brendan. However, I will beat him, no matter how and when. I will defeat the ' _unbeatable_ ' champion."

"Actions speak louder than words." Norman nodded approvingly. "You have grown, more than I expected. Now, I didn't come here just to give you a lecture. Although old habits die hard." The old man laughed softly. "Would you to take a little walk with your old mentor?"

"That is a silly question." Wally responded with a young spirited grin. "Where to?"

"Littleroot, I want you to meet someone." Norman said with an expression that resembled a goofy grin, something that unsettled Wally. Never in a thousand years had he imagined seeing Norman doing that. "And just between you and me. When you go on to face my son, I will be cheering for you."

"That means a lot coming from you." Wally said with a little sparkle on his eyes, he fought back the single tear threatening to fall, not wanting to cry in front of Norman. "Thank you."

After postponing for so long, after letting his ambition to fall into a void of forgetfulness. Wally has decided to reignite the fire of his ambitions. His regret for not standing at the height of his close friend with time turned into resentment, over Brendan and even at himself. Not anymore, with Norman's words, with his master consent. Wally is finally ready to pursue his goal, the time for a re-match is finally here.

'Brendan better watch out, his rival coming back for revenge.' With a little selfish entertaining thought, Wally smirked to himself. A little action that didn't go unnoticed from Norman's eyes. The old trainer just nodded and smile, seeing how pumped his pupil got, surely has made him happy too.

* * *

"Is this really necessary?" Brendan eyed the large group of people at the end of the street; he felt a cold shiver cross his back. He turned his gaze to the woman walking beside him, his eyes pleading for compassion.

Zinnia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I thought you had overcome your phobia of people." She looked to the pink ball walking just in front of her and laughed when Aster covered her eyes with her large ears.

"I don't have a phobia of people… I just don't like to dive into a sea of people for no reason." He replied with a little annoyed pout.

"It will be fun, trust me." Zinnia grabbed hold of one of his arms and dragged him all the way through the commotion. Pushes and shoves accompanied by a few low 'I'm sorry' as she battled against other people to reach a little stall selling a sweet cake in the shape of a flower.

Brendan could barely breathe with so many people squeezing in on him, all trying to make their orders at the same time, he just closed his eyes and prayed to make out of this mess alive. He felt a strong push bring him to the side and with another big push; he popped out of the crowd with Zinnia still holding him by his arm.

"Not that bad, was it?" Zinnia asked with a grin.

"Did I survive that?" Brendan looked behind him and sighed. He can barely understand how that many people could gather in just one small point, so he just gave up trying to see how they could fit in there.

"Yes, you did, and it was worth it. Look at this." The draconid woman raised her other arm, showing a delicate transparent bag filled with the flower-like cakes. "Come let's find a proper place to eat them."

The couple made of a spirited woman and a way to serious young man ran across the streets of Mauville, mainly because Zinnia insisted on running around instead of walking normally. In little time, they reached the highest part of the large city, making themselves comfortable in one of the large white benches at the roof garden.

"You really like sweet food, huh?" Brendan noticed the large grin on her lips as Zinnia unwrapped the packaged, taking one cake in her hand.

"Not really, I just like cute things." She pointed the dessert at Brendan, dangling it in front of him. "It looks cute, right?"

Brendan looked at the small cake, tilting his head to the side as he focused on the shape of the dessert. A soft and brown base with the top colored in red with a clear shape of a rose formed on it, it is a pretty cake but not something he would risk going back to that mess again. Then his eyes glided from the cake to the woman holding the sweet food. Her bright red eyes staring at him, a bright grin on her lips making him melt at the sight of it. "Yeah, it's really cute." He responded with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"You can have this one." She said happily. Then she dove back on the bag pulling another cake out. "Do you like this one, Aster?" Zinnia placed a blue flower-cake on the little Whismur's lap.

"Mur!" Aster wasted no time and grabbed her cake with her tiny hands. Zinnia giggled after seeing her little girl happily dangling her feet while sniffing her meal.

She took the last cake out and held it close to her nose. As the sweet fragrance filled her senses, Zinnia smiled and took a large bite out of her green colored cake. "So tasty." Her voice came out muffled.

Brendan took a bite out of his own cake, the sweetness overflowed his tongue, a feeling he never quite liked. "Yeah, I like it too." He said convincingly but did not bring the cake back to his mouth again, instead he watched as Zinnia delighted herself with her dessert. Brendan raised his left arm, his hands reaching out to her, but he stopped before she could notice his movement. With a defeated sigh, he looked back to his cake and dropped his chin on his chest.

'That wouldn't do. I can't leave them like that.' A man sitting on a bench at a corner of the roof has been watching the young couple for a few minutes now. He closed the book he was reading and got up from his seat. With a suspicious smirk on his lips, he put his book on the large bag at his side and walked towards Brendan and Zinnia.

"Wait, Zinnia? No way is that really you?" The man posed with the most fake surprised face on the planet. "What are the odds of finding you here of all places?"

Brendan looked at the man with a confused but slightly upset expression. He watched as this stranger casually seats beside Zinnia while showing a way too big of a smile on his lips.

"Max?" Zinnia looked at him perplexed. "What… are you doing here?" She shot a glare so intense at him that even Brendan twitched at the intensity of it.

"Me? Well just enjoying the view of this amazing city." He gave another fake smile at her, something that did not please the woman very much. "Who is this? A friend?" He pointed at Brendan, tilting his head as he asked.

"My name is Brendan, I am-"

"BRENDAN?! I heard of that name before." The man known as Max held two fingers on his chin clenching his eyes in a thinking pose. "Wait, for any chance are you the infamous champion of Hoenn?"

'Infamous?!' Brendan frowned at the man but nodded in response anyway. "Yes, that would be me. Although I don't know anything about fame…"

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Max waved one hand in apology. "Is just that you are really famous, even in Sinnoh, as a monstrous trainer, what they call you again? Oh yeah, the unbeatable champion."

"That is a bit… too much." Brendan cringed backward, for a moment he thought about just standing up and leaving, but a quick concerned glance from Zinnia changed his mind. "Aren't all the champions undefeated? This unbeatable title is a bit stupid in my opinion."

"That is not true, don't sell yourself short." Max pointed to Brendan. "Even Pokémon League champions lose some battles, is not like they will lose their title for just losing one battle." A burst of healthy and loud laughter erupted from the man's mouth. "So, what are you two doing here by yourselves? A scandalous meeting maybe?"

"You…" Zinnia glared at the man. The romantic mood now completed ruined, with just a few minutes of his presence; Max made the draconid woman livid with anger and Brendan extremely uncomfortable for being here.

Aster tossed a little piece of her cake at the man's noise, the little pink ball of a Pokémon jumped from her seat and began to push Max's away from the bench.

Brendan felt something vibrate on the large pocket of his pants, where he keeps his Pokénav. With a sigh of relief, he pulled his device out and looked at the lighted up screen. A ticking icon got his attention for a new message inbox; he touched the icon with a finger and stared at it as the screen changed to a large textbox.

'Brendan, please call me. It's really important.' He noticed Steven's name at the sign and felt just a bit worried about the lack of words on this one. As Steven's messages tend to contain an unending amount of words.

"Something happened?" Zinnia noticed the change in his expression and tried to take a look at the screen on his hands.

Brendan put his Pokénav down and smiled at her. "Sorry, I need to make a call. I will not take long." He saw a questioning look appear on her face but walked away before she could ask whom he would call.

Zinnia waited just until Brendan walked to the other side of the rooftop and then she jumped on the top of Max, her fingers pressing his face with a lot of force. "What the hell are you doing?" She shouted fiercely.

"Ow, what? Ouch, stop that." Max jumped from his spot, getting away from the livid woman. "Can't a man have a friendly chat with Hoenn's champion?"

"Have a chat? Of course. Now to annoy the living crap out of him? No." She hissed threatening to jump at the man again. "What is the matter with you?"

Max clicked his tongue but winked at her with one eye. "Don't be like that; I'm just trying to help you out." He straightened the leather strap of his bag across his chest and smiled. "Anyway, I will leave you to your romantic little date, good luck partner." He started to walk away but then stopped, looking at her with a serious expression. "Just don't forget that we have a group of criminals to catch. See ya."

"Max, I swear if you do something like that again. I'm gonna call your wife and tell her to take you back to Sinnoh." She yelled again, this time waving her fist on the air. The easygoing man just shrugged off and walked down the stairs.

"Is your friend gone?" Brendan popped from behind her; with his Pokénav already back on his pocket.

"Yeah, don't worry about him. He is just a bit quirky, but he is not bad." Zinnia said with a sad little grin. "Can we still enjoy our time together?" She asked with pleading eyes.

"Of course we can." Brendan replied with a warm and large smile. "But only until early evening, I have to meet with Steven, later on, something serious is happening and he will only tell me about it personally."

"It's a long time away until evening." She took hold of one of his arms again and nuzzled her cheeks on his shoulder. "Let's have even more fun together."

"MUR!" Aster jumped up and down, trying to get their attention.

"With you included of course. What a silly little girl you are Aster." Zinnia patted her little pink ball. "To Mauville Game Corner!"

* * *

"What is he doing?" Rush pointed toward Josh who is sitting close to the edge of the cliff, peacefully watching the sea waves.

"I don't know, kid and I don't want to know." Raz responded in his usual hispid way. "The way he looks at things creeps me out sometimes."

"Oi, erh… Josh. What are we waiting for?" Contracting his own instincts, the young man with mossy-green hair called the attention of his mysterious comrade. "Is getting kind of late, isn't it?"

The red gems that are the man's eyes shifted from the sea to Rush's figure. They stared intensely at the young trainer, making him froze in place. "Learn some patience, will you? Let me enjoy the dusk scenery of this place." Josh patted the head of curious little Oddish how walked close to him without a worry in the world.

"I don't like the sound of this, but I agreed with the stupid kid." Raz came forward and pressed the matter. "What is the point of doing this, if we wait until nobody is there any more?"

"Ha… Neither of you understands it, do you?" Josh lost his interest in the other two men and turned his gaze back to the sea. "You shouldn't hurry the perfection of art, there is no going back to try and change it."

"I think he lost it." Rush whispered to the large man at his side.

"Art?" Raz shouted, making all the nearby Pokémon to flee scared of his deep and loud voice. Even the little brave Oddish ran away after the large man's outburst. "This is serious stuff you know? Or are you so fucked in the head that this is funny to you?"

With a tired sigh, Josh stood up on his feet. He gazed at the sea one last time and then turned to look at his comrades. He shot a burning intense glare at Raz, making the imposing man take at least three steps backward. "Sometimes your mouth just ran out of control, doesn't it?" He walked forward, taking a single Poké-Ball out of his pants pockets. "But doesn't matter, your ignorance is a given, seeing what you truly hold dear in your heart."

Rush glanced at Raz, trying his best to hold his laugh in. For a moment, he could swear to see the large man flying forward and charging at the black-haired man. However, Raz normal swearing and fits of anger never came; instead, he bit his lips and glared silently at Josh, not taking a step closer against the other man.

"The starry sky is making its appearance above us, a beauty truly outstanding. Perfect for a new entrance…" Josh looked upwards, smiling to himself as he prepared to launch his Pokémon out. "Zero, the time is nigh." The composed trainer dropped his Poké-ball on the ground, an elegant and powerful black and red Aegislash appeared in front of him. "You two can go back if you want, I will finish the job." With one last word to the other two, Josh made his way into the forest his eyes set on the sparkling town on the other side of the trees.

"So, are we going back?" Rush asked Raz.

"You do whatever you want; I will not follow that guy into this." The large man puffed his chest and turned to leave. "I even feel bad for whoever is on his sight today." An annoyed snort escaped his breath as the man stomped his way away from Rustboro.

"Art, huh?" Rush glanced to the city and shook his head. "There will be no art here today." With a sad nod, he followed Raz, going away from their supposed leader.

* * *

Brendan descended at Rusboro at the start of the evening; he patted the head of Latios and watched as the blue dragon flew away to the sky. In a fast pace, he walked around the city making his way with haste to the place where he agreed to meet up with his friend. As he reached the entrance of Devon Corporation's main building, he saw the unmistakable image of Steven waiting for him on the main gate.

The man with light steel blue hair and friendly blue eyes waved to his younger friend and nodded his head. "Good evening, sorry for making you come here in such a hurry." He said with a saddened tone of voice.

Brendan nodded and smiled. He noticed the pained expression on Steven's face, there is no way he could refuse to aid his friend when something is making him make that face. "Don't worry about it. You know how it works, if you need help, I am here for you." He leaned in closer and bumped his fist on Steven's chest.

This made Steven grow even sadder, his eyes staring at Brendan with something that resembled pity. "Yeah, you always help those who are in need."

"Steven, what happened? You are starting to scare me here. You are usually way louder and talkative than this." Brendan raised an eyebrow and studied his friend's uneasiness, something is definitely wrong.

"Before that, let's go to a more suitable place, shall we?" Steven pointed to a little park close to them that at this time is almost empty save from a few people chatting freely with the cool breeze of the evening making it even more enjoyable.

A little suspicious formed inside Brendan's head but followed Steven anyway. They both found an empty bench next to the trees and a strange silence enveloped them.

"So, what is it?" Brendan asked, impatience getting to him.

"Ah… this is way harder than I expected… Look Brendan I just want you to know that I love you like a brother, you know that, right?" Steven looked at Brendan's eyes, something that was so difficult for him to do now considering what he is about to say.

"And you are like one to me… Steven you are starting to creep me out. What happened?" Brendan asked again, this time his voice coming even louder and a bit of desperation showing in it.

"There is no easy way of saying this, so I will just say up front." Steven clenched his fists and looked to the ground. "Brendan this is about-"

A massive explosion erupted a few meters in front of them, the loud noise and blinding light making everyone at the park to fall down to the ground and cover their ears in fear. Still disoriented, Steven opened his eyes and tried to assert what just happened, and then his whole body froze. His heart stopped beating for a few moments.

"What… what?" He could not believe his eyes; no one who stared at the scene in front of them could believe what they are seeing. The main building of the Devon Corporation now engulfed in flames; a giant circular hole opened in the middle of the big structure almost making the entire thing collapse to the ground. In the midst of panic screams and the black smoke taking up the sky, Steven could just say one word, he could only think of one thing as his eyes tearing up out of control. "Father…"

* * *

_**PS -** _ _I would like to say thank you for those who are following this story and reading each chapter. Is a very special feeling to know that you guys like what I'm making here. I will also like to ask you guys to leave a review, saying what you like and what you dislike, that way I can make the story even better._


	9. A Mark to Remember

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _Sorry for the delay and the short chapter, this one was a bit tricky and I thought these scenes are better on their own. Next time I will make a even longer and richer chapter in a fast pace._

* * *

An ominous black smoke took away all the color from the skies, hiding the bright dots that are the distant stars behind the black veil born from the burning building. Screams and exalted voices making the scene even more unbearable. While every victim that could stand on their feet ran as fast as they could from the collapsing structures, one person rushed in going against the tide of scared people fleeing away from the massive fire.

"Steven!" Brendan yelled with the loudest voice he could muster but was still not enough to pierce through all the noises polluting the area. The young champion could not stand idle on the ground for much longer; he jumped on his feet clumsily almost falling face flat on the grass, yet he found strength in his legs to stand firm and ran after his friend, which by this time has already jumped inside the Devon Company complex.

"Can you stand?" Steven asked as he helped a woman get up on her feet. She didn't respond, instead, she stared at his eyes, trembling in shock, with her mouth open but no words coming out of her. "Please, get to safety. I will check for others." Seeing as she did no action to move, Steven gave a slight push on her back prompting her legs to start moving at a fast pace.

Pieces of the ceiling falling down, a huge fire consuming the building at a slow but steady rate, even the paint from the walls losing its color to the infernal heat spreading at the area.

Brendan jumped to the right avoiding be trampled by the desperate employee running for her life. "What we do now?" He asked eying his friend intensely. A sudden explosion erupted from the floor above them, throwing him to the ground as Steven barely stood in place with his legs shaking in a great effort.

"Father, I have to find my father." Steven responded with an agitated voice. He looked to the stairs on the far corner of the entry hall, and then he glanced back to Brendan. "Brendan, please…" He said with his lips trembling, a sign that the man that is always composed and so calm, is now so close to breaking down.

"You don't even have to ask." Brendan stood up once again; he walked over his friend and placed one hand on his shoulders. "I got your back."

A soft smile broke Steven's lips apart; he nodded in gratitude and tapped Brendan on his shoulder. "Thank you." Then the dreadful expression returned to his face, his eyes going back to the only way where they can access to upper floors. "Follow me; we can't risk taking the elevators now."

"The stairs it is." Brendan took the initiative and rushed as fast as he could towards the metallic steps. On the tight space of the stairs, the heat got even worse with the burning hot air and black smoke flooding the small passage halls.

They quickly reached the second floor, but the entrance is blocked by a large piece of a pillar that fell on it, crushing the door on its weight and impeding anyone to access the only exit left.

"Someone- _cough-_ Please, can someone hear us?" A voice ringed from within the floor, from between the cracks on the collapsed pillar is possible to see a few people desperately trying to get out.

"We need to get them out." Steven said reaching for one of his pockets.

"Wait." Brendan grabbed his arm, forcing Steven to look at him. "I will take care of this; you have someone else to save, right?" At the first moment, the heir of the Devon Company glared at Brendan with hesitation, but the young champion's fierce gaze was stronger than Steven's worries.

"Okay, I have to- I need to go." Steven turned away from the blocked door and practically jumped to the other roll of stairs, he took three steps in moments notice but stopped before going any further. "Brendan, please be careful. I have a bad feeling about all this." With one last worried look backward, Steven rushed his way up to the other floors.

'Yeah me too…' After a quick shuffle in his pockets, Brendan pulled out a Poké-Ball and called out his only option at the time. A startled Gallade stared at his trainer not even registering properly everything happening around him. "Sorry Violen, I don't want to put you in danger, but I need your help with this." He pointed to the mess of broken stones and iron in front of them, the stern Gallade still did not understand a thing that is happening, but he got Brendan's meaning as soon as he looked at the blocked passage. "Can you guys in there hear me?" The champion shouted between the cracks.

"There is someone on the other side." A distressed voice pointed out.

"Yeah, we can hear you." Another one responded. "Please help us, the ceiling is making strange noises, I think that is about to collapse." A loud thud came from the other said followed by several screams.

"Please, help us!" A woman hit the hard surface of the broken pillar, her desperate voice echoing from inside the room.

"I will, please calm down and step away from the door." Brendan said loudly but with a soft voice in an attempt to soothe their nervousness. He waited until the voices got distant and barely noticeable from this side of the door. Stepping close to the cracks in the stone, he peeped inside and confirmed that no one was standing in the way of the debris. "Violen, push this thing out of the way.

Violen nodded his head and let out a stern cry. The white and green psychic-fighter took a fighting stance and closed his eyes. A violent cry escaped his small mouth; the Gallade threw his left arm in a downward movement, a bright light flashed from his member going directly at the pillar. A white line crossed the stone, cutting away everything on its path. On his second movement, Violen pushed his right arm in an uppercut sending the pillar flying into the room cleaning the exit way.

Brendan stepped inside just to found a group of ten scared people looking at him, some with relived eyes and other still holding a look of utter shock and fear in their eyes. "Hurry, the stairs are clear. You can exit the building from the first floor." He said pointing to the exit behind him.

A stampede of people ran as fast as they could pass the young trainer, not even taking the time to thank him for saving them. As soon as the pillar was bashed away from the door, most of them vanished from the room, screaming as they ran downstairs.

"If was not for you…" A man with grizzled gray hair wearing a weird black top hat stopped in front of Brendan and grabbed both of his hands, practically weeping in front of him.

"You don't have to thank me. Just get to safety before this fire gets even worse." Brendan said guiding the man to the stairs.

"Wait. I know you've already saved our lives, but I heard other voices." The man pointed to the middle of the room, more precisely to the ceiling. "I think that people are stuck upstairs too." The old man just went quiet as he saw the young man's take notice of the voices grunts and groans of pain coming from the other floor, without a need for another warning, the man turned away and ran down the stairs, leaving Brendan to inspect the strange gash above him.

A strange large fissure is crossing the grey ceiling, the border of this gap are red and burning like living lave has cut a hole on the place with the red liquefied concrete dripping on the floor..."

"What the…" In a struck of naivety, Brendan reached his right hand to the molten liquid burning the floor, just to get the tip of his fingers burned. He glanced above him again, a frown crossing his features as he noticed another red fluid coming down from the hole. "Blood?" He felt a cold shiver run down his spine and a bad taste overflowing his mouth. "We have to check the other floor."

Violen looked at the ever-growing flames taking more and more of the building and growled worried at his trainer.

"I know, sorry for putting you into this too." Brendan patted his Pokémon on the head and smile weakly. "Let's go Violen. More people are in need of our help."

Pokémon and trainer climbed the steps as fast as they could, with no surprise to either of them; another huge piece of debris is blocking the door to the next floor. The fierce Gallade wasted no time into bashing the stones away, clearing the path inside the room.

"Is anybody here?" Brendan shouted as he entered the room. "Please, if anybody is-" His voice died out and his eyes froze in shock. The room is like a twisted inferno of flames, but the fire itself is the most bearable part of all this. From the side walls is clear where the first and big explosion happened, there is a large hole in the frontal and back walls of this floor, with the same molten liquid stone dripping from the 'wounds' of the structure. Brendan stepped forward and felt a tug on the tip of his right foot. "What…? Oh my…" He saw a bloodied hand grabbing his legs but quickly losing its grips. Laying at his feet is a fat looking man with open wounds all over his body, only faint whisper escaping his lips as he fought to stay awake, only to fall to the cold sleep of death.

Brendan felt his stomach turn upside-down, as he looked further and further inside the room, he noticed more and more bodies lying down lifeless on the floor. Some with wounds so severe that they are barely recognizable anymore. The young champion fell to his knees and brought both hands to his mouth in a vain attempt of holding his last meal inside of him, but the urge to put it all out was stronger than him.

"What the hell…" He closed his eyes trying to forget what he saw, but only made it worse. As his imagination made that vision ten times worse.

Violen pulled his trainer by his arm and cried out loudly. Then his tight hold of Brendan's shirt disappeared and a thumping noise erupted from the wall left to the champion.

"Viole-" Brendan opened his eyes and looked behind him to see what happened, but before he could perceive what happened, someone jumped onto him grabbing him by his neck and bashing his back against the wall.

"You! I know you…" A slim man with black hair and bright red eyes held Brendan against the wall, ever tightening his hold on the young man's neck. "Brendan, right?" He said tilting his head to the side.

Confused and terrified, Brendan lost control of his eyes from a moment. His gaze shifting to everywhere almost incapable of focusing on a single point. Breathing was getting harder and harder as a pair of hands kept pressing the skin of his neck. With a pained grunt, the young champion finally mounted enough energy to struggle away from his attacker, however with no success. "Who… are you?" He said, finally taking his eyes down to look at the man in front of him.

"Is that it?" The man said with disgust. "After all… THIS." He motioned to the room behind him. "That is all you got to show?"

Another struggle came from Brendan this time putting his entire body in the action, but still, he was unable to break free from the stranger's grasp. The fingers on his neck pressed themselves even more on his flesh, leaving red marks on his skin and making him gasp for air. Brendan could not help but stare at the man, terrified of what is happening.

The man was struck with a turmoil of emotions, but mostly delusion and anger. "The look on your eyes… pathetic." He said spitting in anger. "You are afraid, scared… Like a lost puppy in a storm. This is not right; this is not how it should have been."

Violen let out a cry of rage, as he got up from being tossed to the wall and rushed at full speed towards his trainer. However, before he could save Brendan, a powerful Aegislash appeared from the side and knocked the Gallade with a fierce tackle of the side of its blade, sending the green and white Pokémon flying out from the staircase door.

"V-Violen." Brendan said with a crisp voice, his face getting redder by the second.

The red and black Aegislash prepared itself to rush after Violen, a crystalline sound coming out of it.

"Zero." The man said sternly. "Leave it be."

With no sign of protest, the Aegislash sheathed its blade back behind its shield in a defensive and idle stance.

Despite the flames growing in size and intensity, the room was getting darker and darker to Brendan, his eyes rolling slowing up as his consciousness was fading away. Then he felt the wall behind him disappear and a coat of wind surround him as she floated in the air. With a loud thump, he crashed his back on the burning floor, practically diving head down on to a burning pyre. The burning sensation pulling him back to his senses, making Brendan roll to the side in a rush to escape the flames threatening to take him. Even as he scooted away slowly crawling backward, was not enough to escape the infernal heat as his shirt had already been caught on fire. In full desperation and still lacking the proper control of his body, Brendan tore the piece of clothing away from him as quickly as he could, leaving behind only a light burning wound on his left shoulder.

"Today that mark is the only thing that I will leave on you." The red-eyed man said with venom in his voice. He glared at Brendan with such bloodlust that made the champion crawl even further away from him. "If you choose to stand in front of me again, don't you dare show such a pathetic look again… or I will crush you beneath my heels without mercy."

"W-why?" Brendan asked with his arms trembling as he tried to muster a heated glare towards the stranger. "Y-you did this? W-why?"

"Hmph. Stop stuttering…" Josh shook his head, holding his right hand in front of his eyes. "You are in no shape to continue this. I have lost my interest." He turned away from Brendan and pointed to the far opposite end of the long room. "I will finish this piece of art, maybe then you will understand. Burn this sight into your memories, Guardian of Hoenn." With a simple snap of his fingers, Josh ordered his cruel Pokémon to act once again and it readily answered it's master's command.

Poising his sword body in an attack stance, Aegislash began to focus a massive amount of energy inside its body. Then without notice and with a faint cry, the metallic Pokémon unleashed a powerful beam against the already fickle wall, bursting an even larger hole on the side of the building practically bending the entire structure to one side. The cracking noises coming from the still standing pillars confirmed what was obvious, the entire thing is about to go down.

"Ah… it's complete." Josh said with a creep satisfied smile. He turned and looked at Brendan again, this with a soft, almost inviting expression. "Farewell, Brendan. I hope you will keep this encounter alive in your mind, or I will be forced to remember you." With one last mocking grin, the man with red menacing eyes walked over the huge hole on the wall and jumped out of the building, his powerful soon following after him.

Nothing… that was Brendan's reaction. He could barely keep his head around what just happened; the surreal scene around him together with the murderous gaze and actions coming from that man was enough to scar anyone for life. Even Brendan felt small under all this, small and weak.

"I can't." He pushed himself up, averting his gaze from the dead people around him. "Violen!" He shouted loudly.

A limping Gallade appeared at the exit door. Holding his left arm in pain, Violen looked at his trainer worried about the blackened mark on Brendan's shoulder.

"You need a rest Violen. I will take care of things for now." Brendan called his Pokémon back to his Poké-Ball, ignoring the protesting cries coming from the Gallade. "Steven… I need to check on him." With a little second wind to himself, Brendan charged into the exit aiming at the stairs, just to be blocked by a large part of the wall falling once again in front of the door. "You can't be serious." He tried to push the rocks away with little success in his struggle, a sense of panic growing rapidly inside of him.

Half of the building collapsed on top of itself, crushing in its entirety the other side of the large room. Large pieces of rocks began to fall all around, one barely missing Brendan's head.

"Fuck… what now?" He rested his back against the collapsed pillar, sweat running down his cheeks. "Think… think, Brendan." He looked to the hole where the strange man jumped off from; the image of that psychopath jumping from the third floor onto god knows what made Brendan close his eyes and shook his head. "I can't believe this…" As another large pillar fell right at his side, Brendan knew that this is his last chance. He tossed away anything resembling common sense and ignored every instinct of his being begging him not to do it.

"Holy… SHIIIIT!" Giving a leap of faith, Brendan jumped out of the building just in time before the entire thing came down. He looked down immediately regretting doing so, he is so far up and the ground seen so far away. At this point, the only thing he can do is close his eyes and hope.

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Birch exclaimed loudly, clapping his hands in pure joy. "The Lugia! Hahaha, simply amazing." He circled around the giant white bird, grinning ever so happily, as he studied the Pokémon's features.

The good old professor tracked the mysterious trainer like a trained tracking Mightyena. After a quick stroll in one of the most deserted routes of Hoenn, Route 103, they saw a pair of trainers crossing the calm waters of the river. Even May is surprised by how quick her father could find the man who presented himself as Ethan and the red-haired man named Silver.

On her eyes, these trainers are surprisingly interesting, in more than a few ways. Silver is a handsome young man, his long silky red hair gives him an alluring aura that when in combination with his pale skin and soft curves on his face, rivals even May's looks. However, despite being one of the more beautiful men she has ever seen, the red-haired is silent and distant with a cold way of speaking that really puts a barrier between him and all others. On the other hand, there is Ethan with his gray sparkling eyes, jet-black hair loose on the winds with a large fringe falling over his right eye and the warm and inviting smile that makes talking to him so much easy and enjoyable. As an opposite contrast of Silver, Ethan is sociable, charming and despite being a looker just like his friend, he is very friendly. A 'dangerous' combination to any woman who gets closer to him, and even knowing this May cannot help herself but feel attracted to his gray eyes whenever she looks at him.

"Sorry about this…" May bowed shyly, blushing hard in embarrassment because of her father's childish behavior.

"I don't mind." Ethan said with a bright smile. "It's always fun to see how people react to the big guy." He pointed to Lugia and then to Professor Birch.

May could not help but smile back to him, blushing a bit as she did. It has been a few minutes since they have met each other, and during all this time, May keeps avoiding looking directly at Ethan but keeps glancing at him whenever he is not looking. "It's truly amazing; I never expected to see Lugia so up close."

"You know, when I first encountered Lugia he was like… a god in my eyes." Ethan said with a bit of nostalgia in his voice. "But after spending a few years with him, I noticed that he is just one big baby." He said with a healthy laugh.

Lugia after hearing the trainer's words glanced at him and growled in annoyance, batting him a couple of dirty glares.

"What? I'm not lying." Ethan responded laughing even more.

"Ethan." Silver called out to him, the red-haired is currently standing next to a tree, his back leaning against its hard trunk. The sudden appearance of a curious professor and his daughter not pleasing him. 'Every time… I swear.' Silver clicked his tongue in annoyance as Ethan ignored his voice and continued to give his exclusive attention to the girl.

"Hey Ethan, you think I can pluck one of his feathers out?" Birch asked with a glow in his eyes. "There are so many tales about his silver feathers, I can barely control myself."

"Sure." Ethan responded shaking his head a bit. "Just be aware that he will probably chomp your head off."

"A risk of my occupation." The professor dismissed the trainers warning and approached the legendary Pokémon, his fingers twitching at the promise of touching those pretty and soft feathers.

"He is not going to bit my father's head off, will he?" May asked unsure if the man is joking or talking seriously.

"Haha, he will. Lugia is not found of people trying to grab him like that." Ethan responded with a silly laugh, confusing May even more if that statement is true or not. "But as I said, he just a big baby." He took one of his hands into the neck hole of his shirt and pulled out a pendant made of dark leather with a large silver feather at the tip. "See, he didn't mind me taking one."

The bright aura around the Silver Wing captured May's interest, she felt locked in a trance reaching with her hands towards the sparkling feather. "It looks… beautiful." He traced the tip of her fingers on the soft surface of the silver object, parting her lips in a serene smile.

"Yeah, it does." Ethan's voice sounded so close, his presence growing so much at her. Before May noticed, she could already feel his breathing hitting softly the skin of her face. "Your eyes are so… pretty. They have the color of the morning sky." He said with a soothing voice, making May turn red instantly.

Feeling ever so shy, May took just a single step back. Her hands going unconsciously to her bangs and starting to play with her long flocks of light brown her. "Thank you…" She said barely looking back at him, but an unmistakable happy grin showing on her lips. "Your eyes… are pretty too. They remind me of someone."

"A special someone?" Ethan asked, leaning closer once again. Showing the bright color of his eyes to the girl.

"Okay, now is enough." Silver jumped in the middle of the too, forcing them to split apart.

Ethan leaned a bit closer to his friend, frowning intensely as he did. "Silver… not now, please." He whispered to the red-haired, his words might have come out in a calm-like breeze, but his eyes fuming at the interruption of his supposed close friend.

"Enough is enough." Silver glared back at Ethan, not backing away from his place. "And you." He turned to May as she spoke. "You better help your father, look at that." He pointed at the scene where Lugia has almost half of Professor Birch already inside his mouth.

"Father!" May jumped from her spot, rushing to help her father get out of the legendary Pokémon's mouth.

"What was that about?" Ethan asked, now showing his annoyance in his tone. "Had fun ruining my friendly exchange with her?"

Silver's glare got even more intense, his piercing gaze even making Ethan take a few steps back. "You really have to flirt with every person we meet?" The red-haired asked fuming. "Seriously, if they show any kind of interest on you, you just start to wag your tail to them… Have some restraint."

"I would have no need to do that if you stop ruining things every time." The champion of Johto replied, his frown turning into a scowl, a bit of irritation taking the best of him. "Seriously, someday you will have to make your mind about this."

"Make my mind about what?" Silver spat back. "Your stupid heated libido? I don't think I will ever be able to wrap my mind around that one."

"Bah, forget what I said." Ethan turned away from his friend, walking towards the other two people. "Lugia, please let the good professor down."

Lugia looked at Ethan still holding the man on his mouth. The big white bird tilted his head to the side and growled.

"Don't even think about it." Ethan responded shaking his head. "Look, you don't want me telling Ho-oh about this, do you?"

Lugia growled annoyed again but quickly opened his mouth letting Birch slid down to the grassy ground.

"That's what I thought." The black haired trainer said following with a contagious laugh. "Even I don't want to get burned by that guy again."

"Uh… Wow." Birch grabbed his head, feeling relieved for still having every piece of himself intact. "For a moment I thought he was going to swallow me whole." He laughed right after, showing a tiny feather stuck between the fingers of his right hand. "It was worth in the end, haha."

"Father…" May's worried expression turned to an angry one. "You really don't change, do you?" but quickly her lips parted into a simple smile, seeing how happy her father is while showing the little feather to her.

"I'm glad that you two are having fun. But, I have a little favor to ask you too." Ethan walked over to Birch giving the man a stern look and then he glanced to May showing another smile to her.

"Sure. Whatever we can do to help, we will be glad to be of use." Birch responded quickly, showing his gratitude for having a joyous time with Lugia.

"Thanks, if I don't get something out of this; my friend over there is probably going to throw a fit for me wasting our time." He pointed at Silver showing a silly grin as he did. "He is kind of a party-killer you know, never having fun-"

"Ethan! Focus." Silver shouted from his position, the other three jump in surprise as his voice echoed in the calm forest.

"See…" Ethan joked about Silver one last time, before wearing his serious expression. "I need you to tell me everything about someone. His name is Brendan, do you know him?"

Birch and May traded a few confused and worried stares. Father and daughter lost their easygoing mood, not sure of how to respond to that question. The continued silent treatment gave away the most important question for Ethan and Silver, the latter walked over to his companion's side, shooting questioning glares at the other two.

"What do you think?" Silver asked.

"I think we hit the jackpot." Ethan responded, staring at Birch and May with a newfound curiosity. "So, who is Brendan?"

* * *

_**PS -** I have a lot of things stored for Ethan, Silver and another Character. While I'm excited with the ideas I have for them, I'm also a bit scared of doing them and people ending up hatting them for it. =/_

_**Reviews**_ :


	10. Broken Pride, Broken Soul

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

The beeping noise coming from the big machine pumping oxygen directly at the unconscious patient's lungs is the only thing sounding inside this particular hospital room. Sitting alone on a familiar padded armchair, Steven is silently looking at his father, both hands pressing against the lower half of his face barely hiding the grimace that took over him.

"Why…?" This question has escaped his lips too many times now, like a mantra Steven continues to ask the same thing as he waits for any changes on his father's condition. He sighed and slid his hands upwards, hiding his face completely as his mind wandered to the traumatic events of a few hours earlier.

* * *

_Steven reached the last floor of the Devon Company building, he couldn't hear any voices or screams. Yet his body pushed itself inside the unstable ground, his eyes frantically looking for someone. Each stern and mindful step making his mind get even more agitated and restless. Is his father not here anymore? Or is he but something happened to him? Each popping question hitting Steven hard on his already racing mind._

" _Please… answer me." A faint weeping voice sounded from the west side of the office room, this little sign of hope and distraught cause Steven to rush in, ignoring the crumbling tiles and the raging noise coming from the entire building._

_As he turned a corner over a collapsed bookshelf, he saw the company's financial chef holding onto the president's hands, the aged old man with his eyes shut and a large stone column lying on top of his lower body. "Father! What happened to him?" Steven asked the woman, who jumped frightened after hearing his voice pop-up from nowhere._

" _T-the President… He saved my life." The woman that Steven grew up knowing as a fierce, strict and sometimes cold person; is now breaking down in tears, clinging to Mr. Stone's body like a scared child. "He pushed me away before the column could fall on top of me, but…" She shrunk even more on her spot, glancing at the unconscious man. "I'm so sorry Steven… I'm so sorry President."_

" _Miss Hannah… You have nothing to be sorry for." Steven placed one hand on her shoulders and slowly pulled her away from his father. He kneeled down, leaning closer and placed one hand on his father's back, he closed his eyes and simply cleared his mind. "He's alive!" Steven said after feeling a faint heartbeat coming from his father. "We need to get him out of here." He jumped from his spot clearing away some space as he reached for one of his Poké-Balls._

_In a show of glowing light, a sparkling grey Metagross appeared beside his trainer. The ever-faithful Pokémon saw Joseph's unfortunate condition and let out a saddened cry, with no need for orders or anything of the sorts, Metagross reached for the heavy and large stone bar and lifted it away from Joseph, tossing the damned thing to the other side of the room._

_Steven promptly rushed back to his father side and_ _surprisingly raised him up, taking the older and fairly chubby man on his arms. "We have to exit the building, with a hole that big on the walls, the structure is bound to fall at any moment." He said looking to Hanah, who just stared at him in disbelief._

" _Steven, do you know what- Ahhh!" Hannah yelped in surprise as her balance was taken away from her, a sudden shock wave forcing the woman on the floor again._

_A loud explosive sound came from below, making the whole building shake like a green leaf standing against the wind. Large cracks appearing on the walls, huge parts of the ceiling falling down, some missing Steven and Hannah by just inches. Steven held his father close to his chest, leaning his back on his Metagross in an attempt to stay standing inside the turmoil happening around him._

" _What on heavens is happening downstairs?" Hannah asked, clear signs of panic showing on her voice. Without notice the other half of the room shook violently and came crashing down on top of the lower floors, leaving a large open gap on the president's office. In an utter shock of the scene, the woman jumped from the ground, wrapping her arms around Steven's right leg, her entire being shaking in fear._

" _We are trapped…" Steven glanced at what used to be the exit from where he came from, now there is nothing but the open sky on that area. "We have to jump out, or we will get squashed by the other half."_

" _What?" Hannah stood up and stepped away from him. "We can't jump out, look how far up we are." She pointed to the side at the clear view of the city below._

" _I have an idea. Please hold on to father for a moment." Steven rested Joseph's body next to Hannah, putting his head on her hands. He then reached for another Poké-ball and called out his Aerodactyl. The big flying dinosaur flapped his wings proudly as he landed next to his trainer and with a quick nodding from the man, the big-mouthed Pokémon rested its belly on the ground, opening its wings as far as he could._

" _Get on top of him." Steven practically ordered as he once again picked his father up._

" _But."_

" _No buts, just listen to me. Please." Steven said pleading, the tone of his voice and the colorful glint of his eyes winning over the woman's hesitation._

_Hannah nodded and climbed on top of the Aerodactyl, the peaceful breathing rhythm coming from the pre-historical flyer calming her down, making her shaky arms finally rest. "What now?" Her question was quickly answered as Steven placed Mr. Stone in front of her and grabbed her hands, putting them on top of the older man._

" _Take care of him." He looked at the woman in her eyes and nodded. "Go!" He shouted with all his might, ordering his flying Pokémon, who quickly flapped his wings and took flight, going as fast as possible away from the collapsing hell of stones and metal._

_Metagross walked over to Steven and cried out, sounding his concerns about their situation._

" _Don't worry, big guy." Steven patted his friend right above his golden cross. "We will see each other later." With that he called his metallic Pokémon back to his Poké-ball, quickly reaching over to another one. "Let's jump out of this mess." Steven didn't even wait for his Skarmory to assert the situation and jumped at the back of the silver bird._

_Skarmory cried out and growled in confusion, shaking her body in reaction._

" _I will give you any treat you want later, but for now. Just please fly away as fast as you can." Steven said, nuzzling his cheeks on the metallic sky terror's back. With a happy squeal, Skarmory flapped her wings rapidly and jumped out from the huge open gap on the office, flying away as her trainer asked._

" _Wait." Steven tapped her on the back again. "Down! Go down, now." He shouted loudly, much to Skarmory discomfort, yet the bird obeyed and made an impressive dive going with her nose pointing directly at the ground._

_Steven extended his right arm out while keeping a tight hold to his Pokémon with his left hand. He felt a forceful dug on this hand, making him grit his teeth in pain._

" _Steven?!" Brendan said, surprised to be caught in midair by someone. The young champion quickly turned his body to grab hold of Steven and the flying Pokémon. "I love you. God, I love you so much right now."_

" _Do I even want to know why are you naked?" Steven pointed out the lack of shirt on the other man's part._

" _Because the fire got me!" Brendan shouted to make his voice louder than the strong winds hitting his face._

_Steven nodded understanding that now is not the time for a little chat. He sighed in relief for saving his close friend but also sighed in frustration with the sight of the Devon Company complex collapsed and burning with wild flames. 'What happened here today?' Steven asked himself._

* * *

A soft click of the door handle got Steven attention; he glanced to the side and watch as Brendan slowly opened the door.

"Hey… I got something for you." Brendan entered the room holding a small plastic mug with little transparent vapor coming out of it. "You can't probably sleep right now, so this might help."

"Thanks." Steven gladly received mug giving back a short smile of appreciation. He held the base of the hot cup with his right hand and the body with his left one. With a soft blow, he cleared away the smoldering clear steam, a sweat scent invading his nostrils. The welcoming fragrance made him raise the cup even more, taking a quick sip, just enough to feel the taste of the beverage. "Strawberry tea?" He glanced at his friends, eyes widen in surprise.

"Strange, right?" Brendan replied with a smile. "I found a little on a kitchen down the hall. I liked, so I brought you some."

"I liked it too… Thank you, really." Taking another sip from his little mug, Steven turned his gaze back to large bad in the other side of the room and sighed. "What a night."

"I know…" Brendan clinched his fingers on the borrowed shirt he got from the hospital, the green fabric wrinkling at the force of his gesture.

Steven could not help but notice a strange behavior coming from his friend, Brendan has always been a bit silent on the last years, but this right now is beyond even him. His breathing is restless; his eyes are in alert, glancing behind his shoulders at every odd minute as if he is afraid of something popping up behind him at any moment. "Brendan, you have something you want to talk about?" Steven asked, watching Brendan's reaction.

"I… No, I don't." The reply was short but without any conviction. "I'm just a bit shocked with that explosion and all that… I guess…" Brendan lied, and he felt bad for doing it. Never once in his life he liked to lie, but lying to his best friend is just extremely wrong in his eyes, and yet he cannot bring himself to tell the truth.

"That second explosion, you saw it, didn't you?" Steven gulped down a mouthful of his tea, his eyes still focused on the other man. "Anything to say on that?"

"I… I didn't even notice until it happened." Brendan bit his lips for a moment but continued anyway. "That was when I got burned and all that. Right after I jumped out of the building and you saved me."

'What is he hiding away from me? And why is hiding something?' Steven pondered to himself, holding the tip of the plastic mug on his lips. "I can barely get my head to think on a reason for why and how would a building that tall and sturdy to start exploding like that." He lowered his head and let out a sarcastic little laugh. "Any guesses?"

"Just as clueless as you are." Another short reply from the young champion. A sign that he is not about to spit whatever he is holding inside of him and Steven decided to respect that.

He stood up from his seat and walked over to his father, he stood there for a few minutes just looking at him with a saddened frown. "Then I guess is my time to talk." He said with a strange cold feeling to his tone. "I called you to Rustboro for a reason, remember?"

"I do." Brendan said back.

"Let's talk somewhere else. We should let him rest a bit." Steven nod with his head, pointing to Joseph's unconscious form.

With Steven leading the way, they both stepped out of the room, making as little noise as possible. The quiet atmosphere that accompanied them inside that room, is now completely gone, the wide hallway is buzzing with voices and sounds, people walking around in a frenzy, both the hospital staff as bystanders that came after the terrible news spread quickly around Hoenn.

"I thought they would reserve this floor a little better." Steven said feeling a bit agitated and annoyed by the number of people bumping into him.

"And they are." Brendan said back. "Compared to the rest of this place, this floor seems like a zen paradise." He stopped for a moment which in turn made Steven stop as well. "I know you don't want to hear this but… You will probably need to go downstairs sometime soon or those reporters will end-up storming up to this floor."

"I suppose so… Did you see how many are there?" Steven asked with hesitation.

"One hundred of them? I couldn't count with so many people barging in together, asking a buttload of questions to everyone they could find." A troubled frown formed on Brendan's expression, he shook his head and continued. "I was lucky to be watching from the third floor or they would have ambushed me too. But I guess some of them saw me since they started shouting: 'Look is the champion.'

"That my friend, is the burden of being a celebrity. They will track you down for any bit of juicy information they can get." For the first time since this awful incident happened, Steven laughed. It was a short and dry laugh, but a genuine one nonetheless.

"I never asked for that. Sadly, on the job description you gave me, it failed to mention this tiny bit." Brendan snorted, a bit annoyed, but smiling friendly. "Fame does not suit me."

"That is something for neither me or you to decide. Another burden of being famous, I guess." Steven made a signal with his hands, asking for Brendan to follow him again. "Anyway, if we can't go down without getting devoured by the cameras, there is only one place left that will offer a bit of privacy."

Steven changed his attention to the path ahead, his mood going back to what it was a few minutes ago and the strange coldness coming from him unsettling Brendan a little bit. This led to an awkward silence between then, Steven pacing his steps quickly on the clean floor with Brendan following close by, staring at his back, feeling increasingly nervous at each step.

"This is a good spot." Steven said pushing open the door out to the hospital rooftop. The chilly breeze rushing at him brought a soothing feeling, comforting his skin on its touch.

Brendan on the other hand, shivered slightly holding both arms close to his chest, the force of the wind pushing the fabric of his shirt against his body, making him hiss in pain and reach for the wounded part of his back.

"I specifically asked you to show that wound to a doctor, didn't I?" Steven's voice carried a disapproving tone on it, as did his gaze. "Why are you so stubborn at times?"

"Because I'm fine, really." Brendan frowned and shifted his gaze to the side, just like a kid would do when scolded by their parents. "There are a lot more people who need medical care, this -" He pointed to his shoulder. "Is just a little burning mark, give it a few hours and it will stop itching." Closing the door behind him, the young trainer walked forward, his eyes wandering far high to the shining dots in the sky. "You didn't bring me here to nag about my injury, did you?"

"No, I didn't." How to say it, how to break down to his friend something that will hurt him way more than any flesh wound. Steven's mind raced around itself, looking for a simpler or easier way of doing this. But there is none, nothing about this is going to be simple or easy, yet he has to do it, he has to say it. "Brendan… you have to stop seeing that girl." Steven finally said.

"Zinnia?" Brendan turned to Steven, looking lost as he did. "Why would I do that?"

"Because she is trouble and she will hurt you." Even Steven knew that he sounds like a madman, speaking incoherently about someone.

"Again with this? I thought you were just joking on the first time." Frustration venting out of Brendan's mouth.

"How can you so blindly believe someone like that?" Steven basically shouted his answer in anger. "Remember how volatile she is, she almost killed all of us."

"But she didn't, she was doing what she thought it was right. Hell, if was not for her, maybe that thing would have crashed on top of us." After another heated outburst, Brendan collected himself, brushing his eyes slowly with two fingers. "She saved me, Steven… After…" He lowered his head, hiding away the pained expression on his face. "I can finally smile again, I feel loved. She is the light that makes everything in my life so bright and alive. And you are asking me to throw that away… Why?"

"Just trust me…" Steven bit his lips, to break his friend's heart like this pained him even more after hearing how much Brendan likes her. But the other option is even worse, to let his friend stay oblivious to what he saw that day, is just… wrong. "You have to break away from her."

"WHY?!" Brendan raised his head in a jolt, shouting so fiercely that even the sky seemed to shake at the weight of his voice.

'BECAUSE SHE IS CHEATING YOU!' Those words exploded on Steven's head, he gritted his teeth in anger, in desperation. He wants to shout that so badly, at this point no to just warn his friend, but to prove that he is not wrong, no that snake of a woman is the one wrong here. 'She is having an affair with another guy, she is rotten, she doesn't deserve you.' Words after words, none of them came out, Steven couldn't say them, he cannot do this to Brendan.

"Steven!" Brendan called, his eyes demanding an answer but at the same time looking at him pleading for honesty, for… safety.

"I don't trust her." It was all that Steven could say. His shoulders shaking with frustration, he hated himself for being weak at this moment. "Sorry Brendan, but I don't trust her."

"I do." Brendan replied, turning away from Steven. "I love her."

That was it, Steven failed to do what he needed and those last three words coming from Brendan killed the conversation instantly. Looking at Brendan's back, Steven frowned, sighed and cursed himself again for being weak but at this point… he did the only thing he could. He turned away and left. "Sorry… Brendan." He said again, but only he knew the real reason behind those words.

* * *

"Where is he?" A loud, wild and energetic feminine voice came from the hallway. Steven could not point out from where he recognize this one, but he sure remembers this tone of aggravating voice.

"He, who?" Another woman asked with a certain confusion clear on her voice. "Hey, wait a minute. You can't enter there."

The door to Joseph's room exploded open, falling pretty to a fearsome kick from a raging draconic woman. "Brendan!" Zinnia exclaimed in full voice, her eyes directly going to the man on lying on the bed.

"Not here." Steven responded with a cold voice. The former champion raised from his seat, shooting a warning glare to the newcomer. "Please don't raise your voice in a hospital."

"Sorry, I got the wrong room." She slightly bowed; an etiquette that Steven believed she would never have. "Heh, my bad for breaking in like that. I'm looking for someone." Zinnia put her hand a little above her head and cleared her throat. "He is somewhat this high, long hair and has a cute face. Have you seen him?"

"I know Brendan, he is my friend." He responded with a tired sigh.

"Oh, great. I was getting kind of desperate here." Zinnia smiled genuinely to the light-blue haired man. "Nice to meet ya, my name is-"

"I know you too, Lorekeeper. You already know me as well, but you probably don't remember me, I doubt you would have the decency to remember about that." Without giving mind to her presence or even caring for her opinion, Steven eyed her from head to toes, his stern gaze sending chills down her spine.

"Yeah… nice talking with you and all that. But I need to go." She quickly turned away, eyes wide open in the strangeness of what just happened.

"Say, do you even love him?"

The question that came out of the blue caught her by surprise. "Excuse me?" She only turned enough to look at the man with the corner of her eyes. She noticed the disgust in his eyes, something that prompted her to glare back at the man with the same intensity.

"Brendan, do you even love him?" He pressed on, his glare unrelenting the pressure on her.

"What are you, his mom?" She said with a mocking smirk. "I don't know from where you get this familiarity with MY boyfriend or even with me. But I don't need to answer you anything… you weirdo."

"That answers my question pretty well." Steven got back on his armchair, crossing his legs and averting his gaze away from the woman. "Brendan is at the rooftop, you can get there from the entrance at the end of the hall."

"Thanks a bunch…" She gave a sarcastic reply, sticking her tongue out to the unpleasant man. Her first step towards the door was heavy and angry, something she did to make a point, what point that was? Not even Zinnia knows, only that she is pissed as hell.

"If you like him… even a little bit. Get the hell away from Brendan." A plead that sounded a lot more like a threat was the last thing Steven said before she slammed the door behind her, leaving him alone with his father on the bedroom.

"Wow… an angry fella, that one huh?" Max commented as soon as Zinnia walked out of the room. The snooping happy going man is leaning against the wall next to the door, his trusted bag resting at his left side. The man looked at Zinnia and gave her a cocky little grin.

"I prefer to not even comment on this one." She replied fuming and her cheeks red with anger. 'Stay away from Brendan?… who that one thinks he is?'

"What's the plan? We can fairly certainly deduce that our guys are the ones behind this mess." Max asked getting away from his little spot and following his partner down the hall. "You think that cute lover boy knows anything?"

"I don't know." She said dry and short.

"So why are we here?" He said raising his eyebrows in a questioning way.

"You? I do not know. I'm going to see how Brendan is, this may come as a surprise to you but I really care about him." Her mind trailed back to the unfortunate little talk of just before, making her puff annoyed. "Apparently that is something people don't believe in."

"Geez, no need to bark at me. You can cuddle him all you want just don't forget that we are in a tight deadline here." As he finished his sentence, Max persona changed; his eyes that are always hazy and lazy are now focused and serious, his face features going form friendly to dangerously intimidating. "People lives are on the line and something tells me that this night was just the beginning."

"You are the cop, not me." She said back, not showing signs of caring for his sudden change of tone and behavior.

"Aw… but I need your help to resolve this. If the last case is anything to take notes on, your presence was instrumental to nail those criminals." In a blink of an eye, the playful Max was back as if he had never left. "Well, for now, I will leave you to your lover. I will just work on getting some clues… all alone… by myself." Like a dejected puppy, the tall man wandered down the path they came from, his shoulders sagging down and his head laying low.

"How he managed to get married is beyond me…" Zinnia smirked at her own comment, watching Max walk away until he got out of sight. And with nothing else holding her down, she glanced at the door a few steps away, yearning to see her innocent champion once again.

* * *

"Isn't she the cutest thing ever?" A beaming mother with the widest grin showed her little baby's face to Wally for what is now the fourth time. "Look, look. She is smiling at you; big brother is going to be jealous."

The green-haired youth let out a troubled smile, while he is not the greatest person with kids, he doesn't mind playing with a baby. However, when her mother keeps rubbing the little girl cuteness on his face all the time, it is getting a bit overwhelming.

"Honey, let the boy breath." Norman walked over from the kitchen, holding a tray with three cups full of cold tea. "Look, he is looking all red on the face."

"I don't mind." He actually does and is very glad that Norman stepped in. "Jully is very cute, She looks like a sleepy Torchic with that fluffy clothes."

"Hahaha, my little Torchic." The woman nuzzled her cheeks on Jully's little belly making the baby girl giggle happily. "Oh, looks like this tiny chick prepared me a little present." She waved one hand in front of her nose, making a funny face. "Let's take a look at this, shall we?" Humming happily, she walked over to the second floor of the house carrying the little girl on her arms.

Wally took one of the cups in his hands and blew the steam away, he gave it a quick sip and his face wrinkled with the strong bitter taste of his beverage.

"Haha, you don't drink black tea very often, do you?" Norman took a cup for himself and gladly drank a large sip out of it. "It gets better with time, trust me."

"Jully is like a shining little light isn't her?" Wally commented.

"Yeah, she is… And she is not the only one." Norman sighed happily, resting his cup on the table. He closed his eyes taking a short trip to the past. "The last time I saw my wife giggle and smile that much, Brendan was a little toddler himself. After he went to find his own path in life, it was hard for her… and for me. He grew up to fast in my opinion."

"That sounds a bit dramatic in my opinion, but I guess only a parent would understand that."

"Something like that, you will get the idea when you have your own kids." The older man chuckled at Wally's faint blush.

"Maybe one day… Who knows?" The young Gym Leader grinned back to his mentor. He then took another sip of his tea; the bitter taste overwhelmed his throat again, making his body cringe on the chair.

"Hahahaha! Don't give up, kid." Norman casually drank another large gulp of his tea giving a challenging look to his pupil. Wally felt compelled to respond in kind and drink the whole thing in one go, but it tastes so bad… Oh, the dilemma.

* * *

" _Today, that mark is the only thing that I will leave on you."_ Red shining eyes flashed on Brendan's mind, his head still being tormented with the memories of a couple of hours early. He felt a movement to his left side, his eyes quickly following on instincts. For a moment, a shadowy silhouette appeared before him, the same red eyes from before gazing at him, mocking his weakness, making Brendan gasp for air and hold his chest tight with one hand.

The shadow faded away as the full moon bathed the area with its pure light. Brendan could finally breath normally again, the faint pain on his chest vanishing together with the dark image that is now haunting him. "Get a hold of yourself, Brendan…"

Then a second image appeared right in front of Brendan, another shadow of a person. However, this time it is not the man he saw earlier on the Devon Company, no… it is a shadow of himself with deep and enraged red eyes. _"Weak."_ His own voice ringed on his mind followed by a piercing pain on his chest, the shadow quickly faded, but its voice continued to echo on his mind, never going away.

"Hey, there you are. Heh, why are you so hard to find sometimes?" The exit door opened up and a smiling Zinnia came out. Her bright red eyes looking ever so longing to the man sitting next metal grids at the corner of the roof.

"N-no way." Brendan said in panic, he backed away onto the metal bars hitting his back on its cold surface. Yet he didn't care about the burning pain on his shoulder, he didn't care on how close he is now from the edge of the building, the only thing on his mind are those bright red eyes staring at him, staring directly at him.

"Brendan?" Zinnia walked closer reaching with one hand toward him.

"Stay away!" Brendan shouted, banging his side at the metal grids. "Stay the hell away from me." He jumped to his feet, standing in defensive stance. For a moment he threatened to run, if he was running forward directly at those eyes or to the opposite side, he could not even process that right now. Then his knees gave away throwing him down on the floor, he took both hands to his chest squeezing the fabric of his green shirt within his fingers. Brendan gasped for air, again and again, a panic attack forcing him to close his eyes in pain and confusion.

The draconid woman ran as fast as she could, throwing herself on the ground to envelope Brendan in a tight embrace. "Brendan. It's okay, I'm here now." She tried to sound calm, but his frantic state making her own voice crack. "Please, calm down. Just listen to me and calm down." Her voice made his body go wild, twitching and jerking out of control, she pulled him even closer and continued to beg him to calm down. The desperation building inside of her making a few tears appears in her eyes.

"Ah… Ah… Zi-Zinnia?" Brendan said with a broken voice, he finally began to come back to his senses even though his eyes are still shifting all around out of control.

"Yeah, it's me." She said looking at him sadly. She noticed that he calmed down with the sound of her voice, but gave no signs of actually understanding her. "Oh, Brendan… what happened to you?"

Took some time for him to stop shaking, but Zinnia's touch made wonders to ease his state. "There were so many…" He said quietly in a rush of his breath.

"Huh?" She asked, brushing his hair with her hand.

"So many deaths… I saw them, lying on the floor. Their bodies…" Brendan made a motion to throw-up buck somehow was able to keep it inside of him. "I couldn't stop that guy. Forgive me, I couldn't… " As he finished his sentence, Brendan passed out and just like he became a hot pile of nerves in a moment, now he withered down, going null and soft like a ragdoll.

The weight of his body suddenly falling down on her, buried Zinnia beneath Brendan's unconscious form. She carefully fought her way out of this lock and embraced his upper body like a protective bird mother. The awkward position he landed himself in, pushed his borrowed shirt to its limit. The little buttons at the back of the clothing gave away and slid in two separate ways on his back, revealing the large red mark still fresh on Brendan's skin.

She winced at the sight of his burned back, her hands traveled down to the injured spot, tracing the red mark with care so to not hurt him even more. "If I get my hands on who did this to you…" Zinnia gritted her teeth, a few more tears sliding down on her cheeks. "They are dead." Her features turning into a mess of rage and sadness, an exact contrast from her normally cherishing and easygoing way.

* * *

A horde of reporters is waiting on the first floor of the hospital, more accurately, at the reception. There are so many people at the entrance that they have become an entirely new problem to the staff and anyone in need of medical care. Some of the more invasive and less scrupulous professionals have sneaked their way to the other floors, interviewing the victims and their family members.

'This cannot wait.' Steven frowned at the disastrous scene unfolding in front of him. A bit of hesitation still lingering inside of his heart as he made his way down the stairs, he doesn't want to go through this right now, but he needs to, it is his obligation as his father's heir.

"Someone is coming." A curious reporter pointed at the stairs.

"It's Mr. Stone's son." Another one shouted in surprise. "Steven, can you spare a word on this incident." He and all his other colleagues barreled themselves toward him, filling first steps with cameras and microphones.

"While I understand that this is something big and everyone wants answers. I will have to ask all of you to leave, this is not the place for a public speech and this undesired commotion is just making the entire situation worse." Steven voices echoed on the first floor but made little to quench their thirst for answers.

"What is the status on Mr. Stone?" A female reporter asked.

"Any clue on what happened?" A male on shouted from the back.

"Please stop this madness!" Steven shouted louder than every one of them, the shock silencing the curious snoopers. "Tomorrow I will receive everyone in front of… what remains of the Devon Company building, then I will answer any and all of your questions." He raised one hand to sign that he is not done and continued. "My father is not on condition to talk, so I will take his place as the spokesperson of the Company."

The reporters aren't especially satisfied with so little information, but the stern gaze coming from Steven deflated any attempt of starting another riot inside these walls.

Steven clenched his fists, he knows that he should not do this. It is stupid and reckless, it will probably do more harm than good, but he can't contain himself, he is biting his lips so hard that a faint taste of blood touched his tongue. "On a final note, I will like to add something." He pointed at the direction of the cameras, glaring ever so angrily at them, his eyes are not really focused on the electronics pointed at him but rather at someone that would probably see him through them. "To whoever was responsible for this incident… responsible for this attack. I will say this: I will find you and I will bring you to justice."

His reckless mistake got the entire crowd riled up again, another uproar exploded on the already tumultuous floor, questions after question flying in the air. While Steven gave those people so little to work with, what he said on the end was enough to start a spiral of things that until tomorrow will blow out of proportion.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	11. It's Showtime

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

_"To whoever was responsible for this incident… responsible for this attack. I will say this: I will find you and I will bring you to justice." Steven's voice ringed through the large screen on the wall._

"Ho… the brave rich man is pissed off." Rush held one hand in front of his mouth faking a shocked reaction. "Hey Josh, aren't you scared?"

The mossy-green haired youth is sitting on large round fluffy puff sofa at the left side of the room that now turned into sort of recreation room for all five of them. Closest to him is Violet, sitting on a high wooden stool dangling her feet on the air and swinging her head from side to side like a little dance.

Leaning with his back against the wall is Raz; he is the closest to the giant monitor installed at the large wall on the backside. The giant of a man is glaring at the images like a mad dog eying his prey. At his left side, there is a big, luxurious and comfortable armchair; made with dark leather and premium wood. A seat that none other than Leyla has chosen for herself, the blond beauty is sitting on her seat with her legs crossed, while holding a fine teacup on her hands.

And for last, closest to the exit door at the right wall of the room is the last member of the enforcer. Josh is laying down on a sturdy looking wooden chair, with his legs resting on the right arm of the brown furniture and his back resting on the other arm, his head hanging low with long bangs of his jet-black hair hiding his eyes away.

"Hahahaha, he's coming to crack you down." Raz the giant mean-looking man pointed to the raven-haired man and laughed. "What a joke."

All other enforcers turned their gaze to their comrade, all eagerly waiting for his response, which always intrigues them in some manners. However, he just stood on his chair with his arms crossed and his shoulders limping downwards, his eyes staring boringly to the wall and a disinterested sigh escaping his mouth.

"Huh… What is the matter with him?" Violet pointed to the man. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised and her features furrowing into a funny face. She jumped from her spot and casually skipped her way toward him. In a child-like manner, the girl brought her left hand up to his forehead and knocked on it as if she was hitting a wooden door. "Hey… someone there?"

The soft bumps of her knuckle hitting his skin got the man's attention, but he clearly disliked the gesture as his face went from bored to angered in a blink of an eye. "What you want?" Josh said in a deadly voice. His serious gaze making the easygoing girl jump away from him and raise both arms in self-defense.

"Josh, honey. You are acting a little strange; even I am getting curious now." Leyla looked at him from the corner of her eye, wrapping a long lock of hair around two of her fingers. "Would you care to share your thoughts on this?" With her free hand, she pointed to the large monitor.

Josh shifted the gaze of his red eyes toward the frozen image of Steven, the steel-blue haired man pointing to the camera and his glare piercing through as if it is reaching for personally. "I don't care..." He responded with disinterment, going back to his previous position and locking his gaze to the wall again.

"Hah, that's a given." Raz shouted from his place. "A weakling that can only talk rarely amounts to much."

"Don't take what I said from the wrong angle." Josh replied right after. "That man pointing at us." He motioned to Steven's image. "He is not weak, I can see in his eyes. However, he is not my problem. I was alone when I brought that place down, but it was an action for our cause and our leader. He is coming after all of us, not only me."

"Then how come you don't care?" Rush jumped in. "I mean if he is trouble and he is coming after all of us."

"Because I did the job this time, so I'm off the rook." Josh turned his face and looked to Rush, giving him a playful smirk. "Talking about it, aren't you supposed to be the next one making a ruckus out there?"

"Yeah…" The green-haired young man raised an eyebrow as he answered.

"See, not my problem. You guys will have to deal with him." The raven-haired man responded with a chirp little laugh, then his face went back to its bored state of before. A tired sigh escaped his lips as he went back to staring to the wall.

"Oi… isn't he really strange today?" Raz leaned in closer to Leyla, hiding his mouth behind one hand as he whispered. "Way stranger than normal?"

"That he is…" Leyla's blue eyes stared intensely at Josh. She was never able to understand him properly; something strange, considering that she feels very proud of being able to read each and every person that she meets, her associates included. "Maybe last night got to him, even Josh must feel something after that…"

"Yeah… probably." Raz nodded his head. He looked at his raven-haired comrade and for the first time, he felt sorry for him.

'Those eyes… is he really a guardian?' Josh pondered to himself. The frightened look on Brendan's eyes never left his thoughts. 'Maybe he is not ready or he lost his way… Should I threaten someone close to him?' He clicked his tongue and sighed once again, sinking even down on his seat. 'What would he do?'

"You know… He is kind of cute like that." Violet said with a little blush on her cheeks.

Rush turned his head and gave her the most uncomfortable look ever. "What are you going on about?" He asked.

"Josh. Normally he is just so cold and has that superior air around him. But now he is mopping sadly, looking like a lost puppy." She clapped her hands in front of her chest, gasping in a lovely way. "I would love to cuddle with him, just to feel his misery up close."

"For someone with the cutest face on the planet, you have the ugliest personality. Geez." Rush cringed away from the girl, not wanting to imagine what she would do to someone she really loves.

A female Grunt barged into the room, holding one hand in her chest, gasping for air. "Ha… ha… Rush, sir. I-It is r-ready." She stuttered in her words, her face frowning with fatigue. "T-The boss is calling y-you to the orange room."

"Really? It is ready?!" Rush jumped from his spot, feeling refreshed and full of energy again. "Haha, now it's my time to shine. I will put to use my acting skills, it will be awesome." He quickly walked over the door, clapping the woman on her shoulder, a faint blush appearing on the Grunt's face.

"I will be looking forward to your performance." Leyla said with a genuine smile.

"Heh, me too." Violet said with a wide smirk. "That whole plan sounds kind of fun."

"Yeah… Good luck..." Josh said without taking his gaze away from the wall.

"Don't screw this up kid or I will crush your head with my fists." Raz growled in his usual rude way, but his honest smiled betrayed his foul mouth.

"I will prove how badass I really am." Rush looked at them and smiled. "It's show time."

* * *

A faint line of grey smoke still lingers on the grim remains of the once magnificent building of the Devon Company, ashes and darkened wreckage serving as a depressing reminder of the dreadful events of the previous night. A few meters away from this sad view, the lucky employees of Mr. Stone's company, built a makeshift little stage with just enough space for one person to stand in front of a grey mess of microphones stacked on top of each other.

A sea of reporters and camera operators are standing right in front of this little stage, all of them eagerly waiting for a specific person to walk up there and finally talk to all of them. Further back, standing far away from the mass of people, Steven is eying the scene regretting every with all his heart the moment he decided to speak publicly in his father's stead.

"What the hell do I do now?" Steven sighed tiredly, his eyes traveling down to his feet.

"You're going to be fine. I've never met a man more capable to stand in for Joseph than you." A man with shining baldhead tapped Steven on his right shoulder, giving the younger man a soft smile.

"Mr. Mark… Thank you." Steven replied with a thankful expression. The little words of the old man giving him a large confidence boost.

"Don't mention it boy." Old man Mark made a little gesture with his head, pointing to the mass of people a little ahead of them. "Go there and soothe their confusion and pain… We all need some comfort right now."

Steven nodded, showing all the appreciation to his senior in the bright glint of his eyes without the need for words for it. He took a deep breath and stepped away from the bald old man, walking with elegance and confidence towards the huge crowd waiting for him.

Meanwhile, Zinnia is sitting alone in a large bench at the beautiful and quiet green park close to the ruins of the building. She is watching the commotion unfold, just waiting for something out of the ordinary to pop-up on her sights.

"Hey there, what is a lady so pretty doing alone in a place like this?" Max said with a quirky smirk. The strange police investigator walked over from the long street, catching the draconid woman by surprise.

"Max... I will tell your wife." Zinnia said with an annoyed hiss.

"Hey, hey. No need to snitch on me. I'm a faithful gentleman; I only like to tease you a little bit, no ulterior motives at all." He placed his right hand on his chest raised his entire body in a formal salute. "Talking about being faithful... where is lover boy? I thought you would stick at his side all day."

Zinnia's bright red-eyes glided over to her investigator partner, she stared at him in silence for a few moments and then closed her eyes sadly. "I took him to his house… Brendan is no condition to be out here today."

"So you left him alone?" Max asked curiously.

"I asked Aster and his huge Sceptile to look after him. Brendan is sleeping, safe and sound… he needs a bit of rest." She looked down bringing both hands to her face, Brendan's desperate voice still echoing in the back of her mind, the feeling of his fingers pressing so aggressively onto her back still lingering on the surface of her skin. "I will find what happened last night..." She said gritting her teeth.

"We will… trust me, we will." Max sat at her side, and placed one arm around her shoulders, not in an insinuating way or to tease her, but simply to offer some comfort to the agitated woman. "Oh, looks like is about to start." He pointed out the fact that every reporter that was quietly waiting, now are rushing inside the crowd forming in front of the improvised stage.

Steven quietly stepped up on the firm platform, breathing in slowly with his eyes scanning every gaze that is pointing at him. While his little talk with Mark helped him ease his nerves, the giant monitor posed behind him transmitting everything on a live feed, made a cold sweat slid down on his cheek.

"First, I will like to say thank you for all of you, for listening to my demands yesterday and to prepare this space in such short notice… I really appreciate your patience." Steven gave a respectful little bow, an action that brought sudden warmth to the cold mood surrounding everyone. "Before we start, I would like to give my condolences to the victims and their family… such a terrible event is traumatic to all of us." He closed his eyes, placing one hand on his chest and fell into a moment of silence, everyone else following his example.

Sadly, the quiet moment quickly faded away, with the restless crowd getting noisy all over again.

"Mr. Stone, do you have any leads about the cause of such accident?" A female reporter with bright red hair asked loudly.

"Sir, yesterday you talked about bringing a culprit to justice. It's confirmed that someone is behind this tragedy?" A male reporter with blue hair shouted, waving a thin pen on the air.

"Right, you have any pieces of evidence for this claim?" Another reported asked even before Steven could open his mouth.

The unending barrage of questions overwhelmed Steven at first; he sighed in exasperation but showed no other sign of wavering. In a swift action, he shot both hands in the air and threw a mildly annoyed glare to the mass of questioning people. Like magic, the unnerving amount of voices shouting at the same time vanished, giving space for the man on the stage to speak.

"We still have little information on the attack itself, the safety and health of our injured was the first priority," Steven said with his stoic manner, instantly winning over everyone with his charm. "And yes, I said attack. An explosion like that was not possible in any shape or form on an office building like ours. So the only option left is a direct attack by someone or something; that is still up to debate."

"A few sources confirm a quite large number of deceased. But strangely enough, save for a few exceptions most victims have light injuries. Any words on that?" A reporter asked which was followed by a few nods and agreeing grunts from others.

"I... I was close to the premises at the time of those terrible events. I rushed inside together with a friend, we helped some trapped persons on the second floor and then we split and went on separated paths." Steven felt a few confused gazes fall onto him as the rambled way more than he intended to. "While making my way to the top floor searching for my father, I didn't spot a single fatally injured person. Therefore, I assume that every poor soul that died yesterday was on the same floor, most likely on the point of impact of the attack."

"W-What… what is happening with the cameras?" A reporter asked in panic, pointing behind the stage.

Static noises erupted from behind the stage, the massive monitor began to flicker and the clear image of Steven slowly started to disappear, overtaken by a blurred mess of colors and two strange silhouettes appearing at the center.

"The connection is being redirected… Someone is taking over the transmission." A camera operator yelled all the way from the back.

"Hey- Is- really working?" A broken static voice sounded from the big grey colored screen.

"It is, it is… Please don't hurt me." A second voice came and with it the static blur faded away, the image getting clear as it can be.

The two shadowy figures from before turned into a man with brown short hair and a woman with a jet-black curly hair. Both are using a dark set of clothes with a big multi-colored R at the chest part of their black shirt.

"Who, who are those two?" Someone yelled from the crowd. "They are inside our studio!"

"Heh, looks like they can see us." The female Team Rocket Grunt said with a cocky smirk. "I want all of you to pay attention to what we are about to say. I don't like to repeat myself, so don't test my patience." She looked to her criminal partner and nodded with her head, signaling for him to proceed forward.

The lazy-looking man stepped forward, getting even closer to the camera in front of him and took a large piece of paper from one of his pants pockets. "We are the team Rainbow Rocket and under the leadership of our brilliant master, we came here today to declare our demands." He stopped his speech from a moment, lowering his hands and taking his eyes away from the paper. With a long breath, he prepared himself and pointed forward with one hand. "From this day forward, Hoenn is ours!"

"What is he talking about?" A confused voice came from the mass of people, many other soon following it.

"Is this an elaborated prank? This is not funny, you moron." An exalted reporter shouted angrily.

"Silence!" The woman dressed in black shouted louder than all the other voices. "All of you are standing right in front of our first message. Do you really want to go against us?" She said with a threatening tone.

'They are the ones…' Steven clenched his fists, he could not hide the enraged feeling taking over him as scowl took over his facial features.

While most people present only shared a couple of glanced with each other and stood there watching what would unfold, a small number of them quickly walked away, wasting no time to get at the studio where these criminals invaded. Two specific individuals were the first ones to leave, a certain draconid woman, using her trusted Salamence, took to the skies as soon as she heard where to find those people, with Max hopping right behind her wrapping his arms on her waist. If Zinnia was not in such hurry, she would have kicked the daring investigator out of her dragon but with time going against her she has little choice but to let it slide… the man holding her with a goofy grin on his lips, got lucky this time.

* * *

"Look! Something is happening down there." Max pointed to the city right below. "Those punks really invaded TV Mauville…"

"Not for long. Hold tight, we are going down." Zinnia tapped her blue dragon on its back and he quickly obeyed, diving straight down to the open center area of Mauville.

The ground of the main square trembled vigorously as the mighty blue dragon landed with a ferocious roar. To the pair's surprise, the city is practically deserted without a single soul at the vicinity to see their arrival.

"Over there, invaders!" Two Rainbow Rocket Grunts came running to the center of the town, both holding a pair of Poké-Balls in hands and shooting a mean looking gaze to the newcomers.

"You have the guts of calling us invaders?!" Zinnia growled in response. She pushed Max out of her Salamence with a fierce kick at his right side, she then jumped on the ground and pointed forward. "Let's dunk on those freaks." She commanded with an imposing voice and her Salamance responded with a loud roar.

"Hah, let's see who will dunk who." The Grunt on the left tossed his Poké-Ball forward, a Pyroar appeared in front of him growling angrily to Zinnia.

"You will regret this, girl." The other one followed suit, a grumpy Pangoro came out of the Poké-Ball, stomping the ground to show his strength.

Max brushed a few dust marks from his pants and walked over Zinnia, giving a light tap on her right shoulder. "You got this?" He asked.

"Go do your thing." She spat back not taking her eyes away from her opponents.

"That's my partner." The easygoing investigator displayed a wide grin and then dashed to a side exit.

"Oi! You are not running." A Grunt shouted and stepped toward the fleeing man.

" **Dragon Claw!** " Zinnia shouted her command.

Despite its big size, the Salamence flew at a high speed and crushed the ground right in front of the running Grunt, the force of this impact shoved the man away and blocked his path after Max.

"Grr... Wanna play like that? Fine!" Gritting his teeth in anger, the Grunt jumped from the ground and walked closer to her. "Pangoro, forget about a battle. Use **Body Slam** and squash that bitch!"

The grey-bear Pokémon cried loudly, pounding one fist on his belly, and then he bolted in a frenzied manner, barely keeping his body straight. Sinking his heavy feet on the ground, the Pangoro jumped in the air and aimed his fall at Zinnia's direction.

Zinnia gave showed no reaction, she gave her Pokémon no order and only stared as the heavy beast was coming toward her. As Pangoro leaped in the air, the draconid woman gave three little hops to the side and let the grey bear fall face flat on the floor.

"Pangoro! What the hell are you doing, smash her!" The Grunt shouted even more aggravated.

"Weak trainer equals weak Pokémon…" Zinnia said with a taunting smirk. " **Crunch!** " She pointed to the fallen Pokémon.

Salamence flapped his wings and flew with haste, landing right on top of the Pangoro. The blue dragon opened his jaws as wide as he could and then sank his fangs on the soft fur of the bear. Pangoro cried in pain, shaking under the heavyweight and power of Salamence attack. After a few moments, the noises stopped and Pangoro fainted without any signs of coming back.

"Pangoro!" A pained shout came from the Grunt; he stared at his Pokémon, frowning without being able to react.

"Dammit… Pyroar, let's get them! Use **Flamethrower.** " The second Grunt stepped in, taking the battle onto his hands.

The beautiful lion with enflamed mane jumped right in front of the blue dragon. The brown royal Pokémon roared loudly and then took a long and full breath. Swinging his head violently, Pyroar unleashed a wave of fire, the heated flames flying aggressively on its target. Salamence stood his ground and took the attack head-on, only lowering his head to protect his face. An orange explosion flared up, engulfing the dragon's body, not leaving even a little part of him visible.

"Hah! How did you like that?" The Grunt said proudly.

A sarcastic snort escaped from the draconid woman, she reached her face with one hand and shook her head. "Finish this." She said coldly.

Following her words, a deafening roar came from the fireball; with a powerful flap of wings, the flames vanished away. Salamence came out of it safe and sound, with not a single bruise or mark on his body. The blue dragon flew upwards, as high as the ceiling of the city and then he turned around and dove with his nose aiming down.

"Don't stand there doing nothing. Use **Flamethrower!** " The Grunt commanded, punching the air in front of him.

Pyroar pointed his mouth up, aiming at Salamence. The brown lion made the same ritual from before and fired another wave of fire, but as the attack flared from him; Salamence was already on top of him smashing his forehead onto Pyroar's face. A dust cloud puffed into existence, a loud sound of impact coming with it. Pyroar went flying away, smashing his back at a sidewall of the main square, and then falling on the floor completely out of combat.

"W-What… What is this Pokémon?!" One of the Grunts said in panic.

"Let's get out of here!" The other one showed an even more terrified expression. Both men called their Pokémon back and ran away as fast as they could, going directly to the south exit of Mauville.

"Clowns…" Zinnia said quietly. "I have no time to waste, let's see who is in charge of this mess." She tapped Salamence on his head and dashed onto the main street, turning at a corner where will take her to the right building.

To Zinnia's surprise and uneasiness, the path ahead of her is completely quiet but is not devoid of peoples present. Laying on the streets are more than a few police officers and their Pokémon partners, all of them unconscious and with heavy bruises on their bodies; clear signs of battles are showing through all the sidewalks and buildings nearby.

"Another! Look, there's another one." A female Grunt came rushing out of the TV Mauville building.

"Tsk, I lost that guy…" A male Grunt came from the building, a very annoyed frown on his features. "What?! Another one?"

"I just said that, you moron." The woman shot a glare at him. "Whatever, I can take care of her." She tossed a Poké-Ball on the air, a sparkling Honedge appearing in front of her.

"Na-ah, I will blast her away." He called a Pokémon of his own, a second Honedge appearing next to the first one.

"More of these clowns… I have no time for this!" Zinnia shuffled around on her pockets, grabbing another Poké-Ball onto her hands. "Go and push them out of our way!" She shouted, tossing her Poké-Ball next to the two flying swords.

In a flash of light, her massive Tyrantrum came out of his Poké-Ball, immediately charging forward, holding his head down and not stopping for nothing. The reddish-brown dinosaur tackled both Honedge at the same time, his scale and power overwhelming both Pokémon and sending them to the air; the force of this attack knocking them out of their senses.

"Wait, stop… Not here!" The female Grunt gasped as she noticed that Tyrantrum was not stopping.

"Go away! Go away!" The other Grunt turned to flee. "Gaaah!" Both before he could take one-step away, Tyrantrum bashed his head on both of them, sending both Grunts to the side of the building, the trainers suffering the same fate as their Honedge partners.

With the hindrance finally out of her way, Zinnia walked over the entrance but stopped before charging in. "Since you two can't follow me inside, stay out here and keep guard." She said looking to both Tyrantrum and Salamence. "If anyone using that stupid uniform comes out or tries to walk in, you take them out. You hear me?" She gave a stern glance to them and in response both Pokémon gave a reply in the form of a growl or a grunt. "Heh, I know I can count on your guys. Wish me luck. No, wish luck to whomever I find in here… They will need it."

* * *

"Please… we did what you asked. Just let us go." A voice sounded from the newsroom. A middle-aged man is crouched at the corner, holding two other coworkers in his arms, all of them shivering in fear of the woman glaring at them.

"I said to shut it!" The woman with curly hair yelled. "Can't you see that he is trying to give a speech?" She pointed to her partner; the man is holding an extensive piece of paper and his still going on in his passionate speech.

"You may not embrace us at first, but our leader's ideal and dreams will soon reach your heart. Soon all of you will understand the greatness that is waiting for us." Without stuttering and with very few breaks to breath, the lazy-looking Rainbow Rocket member is talking with impressive spirit all the while his eyes keep averting to a little screen at his side that is showing the live feedback from Rustboro City.

"Gaaah, get out of my way already!" An angry and energetic female voice exploded from the hallway. Not only that, a member of Rainbow Rocket went flying inside the room, his eyes rolled backward and spit escaping his mouth. "Ha… Ha… I found you! I finally found you!" Zinnia barged inside the newsroom, fits high and ready, and a sole sweat drop sliding from her chin down to the floor.

"Huh…. What?" The female Grunt looked at her surprised and confused. "Where are our guards? Didn't we leave a lot of member on the front part of this place?"

"That we did… who is this one?" The other Grunt stopped his speech, being left somewhat speechless from such brazen entrance of this strange woman.

"I beat the crap out of them that was what happened." Zinnia proclaimed in a boisterous manner. "Now tell me where the hell this leader of yours is, I have a few things I need to ask him about."

"Look at the stupidity of this one, she comes here and picks a fight with our troops… Now she wants to see the boss." A wild sense of anger took over the female Grunt mind, her face features suddenly marred by an ugly scowl. "I will break her neck." She spat even angrier. One of her hands traveled to her back, aiming to one of her pockets.

"Oh no, you don't!" Zinnia dashed in fast as a wild Pokémon, she jumped at the woman before she could take any of her Poké-Balls out, and gave a direct uppercut on her chin. The other member of the criminal gang stood up from his seat and threw himself at Zinnia's back, wrapping one of his arms around her neck. The pushed and pulled, doing his best to take her balance away, but displaying an insane control of her body and a surprising amount of strength on her muscles, Zinnia twirled around and tossed her attacker on the ground, the man hitting his forehead on the cold floor.

"Crazy bitch, what's the matter with you?" The female Grunt yelled, rubbing her chin and hissing with pain.

"I will ask you just one more time. Where is your boss?" Zinnia's red eyes flared up as she shouted, she walked up to the other woman and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. "What… What did you do to Brendan?"

"Who?" The woman responded with a genuine confused expression.

"Don't play dumb… If you make me angry, you will regret it." Zinnia waved her fist on the air, threatening to clash it on the woman's face.

"Who did what with me?" A familiar voice sounded from behind them, coming from the entrance door.

This voice instantly took Zinnia's attention; she could recognize this voice anywhere. The fingers lost the strength to hold onto the Grunt's shirt, forcing her to drop the woman on the floor. Slowly, Zinnia turned her head over, her gaze fixing on the person standing there looking sternly at her. "Brendan?!" She asked baffled.

"Yes?" He responded. The man standing in front of her is non-other than Brendan himself, with his long hair and handsome face. However, instead of his normal clothing of choice, he is using a pair of dark black pants, grey boots and a black long-sleeved shirt with a rainbow-colored R at the center.

"What… What are you doing here?" Zinnia asked, her furious voice getting a lot more sweet, her persistent angered frown easing up. "You should be resting up." She walked over to him and placed one hand on his left cheek.

"Resting up? Hah." Brendan's lips parted in a cruel smirk. "You asked what I'm doing here. I will tell you." His right fist came flying from below, hitting her square on her stomach. Zinnia gasped and bent in pain. Then his fist came swinging once again, hitting her on the right side of her face, throwing the draconid woman on the floor. "I'm following my master's wish, that's what I'm doing." Brendan turned his attention to the camera fixed on him, an even wider smirk appearing on his lips. With a poised form, he stared firmly at the camera. "If any of you didn't believe before, then believe it now. Hoenn is now ours. Hoenn belongs to Team Rainbow Rocket!"

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	12. Awaken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _Hey there, another late update... I know, sorry for that =/. Currently I have a very bad habit of writing everything in one go, that would be cool and all. But seeing how busy I'm most of the days with work and stuff, I end up not writing at all. Seeing as this is not practical and not very healthy too, now I'm going to start writing a little bit every day to speed up the process and keep my sanity too._

_With that lame excuse out of the way, lets start this chapter._

* * *

"Wh-who?" Said the oldest man in the little scared group of people tangled together. "W-why are you doing this?" His voice stuttering even more after the brown-haired youth gave him a fierce glare.

"Really?" Brendan said with a disappointed voice. "Poor John over there was giving his all in his speech, the little you guys could have done was to pay attention to his words." The Grunt named John nodded sadly to Brendan and looked disheartened to the other Grunt standing next to him. "Anyway… I will not repeat his words, again great job John. To put things fair and simple, we, Team Rainbow Rocket, own and rule over this region. Got it?"

"I don't get it. You are the Champion... our Champion." Said a female member of the staff crew.

"Hah! You're right. I am the Champion." Brendan raised his left hand, placing it on his left cheek and caressing his own skin in a weird way. "The strongest trainer in this sorry place. In the service of the strongest organization in the entire world, hahahaha."

"The strongest one, huh?" Zinnia slowly stood up, glaring daggers at the young champion. "Don't make me laugh."

With a certain disinterest, Brendan tilted his head to the side, taking his gaze back to the red-eyed woman. "Lady, can't you see how stupid this is?" He asked with a condescending grin. "Stay on the ground or you will get hurt again."

Now Zinnia was the one smiling, a very devious smile. She stomped forward, going toward Brendan with her red-eyes burning with rage. "You are the stupid one here." She shook her head letting out a short little laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Did I hit you so hard that you started to hallucinate?"

With a quick step to the side, she faked a dash toward the door and then used the strength of her right leg to propel her body into Brendan's direction. Her left fist flew in, going faster than he expected and hitting the young man square on his chin. The force of her strike, combined with the sensible spot where it landed, shut down his sense of direction for a moment, forcing him to fall on the ground while groaning in pain.

"The fact that you don't know me is more than enough proof." She said defiantly. "Who the hell are you?"

Holding his chin with one hand, Brendan looked at the draconid woman with a livid rage. He then changed his gaze to her side, looking behind her. "Now!" He shouted the order.

In response to his signal, Zinnia did a quick spin with her arms ready to counter an attack coming from behind. "What?" As her feet landed in position and her eyes turned to the spot he was looking, she noticed that no one was there. The two Grunts are still standing next to the wall, watching her with stern eyes and the group of hostages is still sitting curled on the floor. "What are you playing on-" A firm fist exploded on the left side of her face, a strong sensation of pain overwhelmed her senses, forcing her to close her eyes. Then another punch came in right after, hitting her on the same spot, taking away her footing, making her body collapse.

Before she could fall down, this Brendan grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to be in the same height as him. "I told you to stand down… Now, look at you." With two fingers he touched the fresh bump that appeared on her cheek, at first, he only softly glided on the bump but shortly he began to press it with force, forcing a few pained hisses from her. "A shame to ruin your pretty face."

"Y-you… You are not." She said weakly. "Not…"

"Excuse me, what was that?" With an over exaggerated pose, he leaned in closer to her what she was trying to say.

"YOU ARE NOT BRENDAN!" She shouted the loudest she could, the echoing sound of her voice delivering a ringing pain onto his ears. "Who are you?" She asked with a loud voice again, but her eyes were not focused on his, instead she was looking directly to the camera pointed at them.

'You…' He clenched his fingers on her hair and pulled her head backward, forcing her to face the ceiling. "Nice try there, slag." Before she could say anything in protest, Brendan clasped his other hand on her mouth, shutting the girl for good. He pulled her closer and pressed his lips on her right ear. "I won't let you ruin this. From now on, I'm Brendan's public face." He whispered softly so that only she could hear it.

A heavy crushing sound came to life inside the room with metallic parts flying everywhere. The hostages and the Grunts, all of them yelped in surprise after something jumped in and smashed the camera using sharp claws.

"Young man, that is no way of treating a lady." Max stepped inside the newsroom, his expression showing is growing irritation with this Brendan. "Let her go or I will do more than just break your toy."

At first, his eyes followed the shattered pieces of the camera; he saw a menacing Luxray growling at him. He then traced back to the newcomer, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "I will… make you pay for that." Brendan looked to the Grunts behind him and gave them a little signal with his head.

With a little trade of glances, they nodded to each other and dashed out of the room, alarming Max as they ran away past him.

Giving a few more glances to the entry door to make sure those two were not preparing to ambush him from behind, Max furrowed his forehead and returned his gaze to the remaining member of the criminal organization. "Let her go… this is my final warning." As he voiced his threat, the Luxray stomped forward sounding an even louder growl.

"You want her?" Still holding her by her hair, he dangled Zinnia in front of him. "Then catch!" With a swing of his arm, he pushed Zinnia toward Max. In her third shaky step, she tripped on the floor, but luckily her partner jumped with his knees sliding on the cold surface and catch her before anything worse could've happened.

"Hey, are you okay?" Max held the draconid woman closely to himself.

"Wha- Gah…" She hissed in pain as she tried to speak, the swelled area of his face got even worse than before. "What you think?"

"Jeez… how could someone do-" Max felt a cold rush on his back, his entire body tensing up. 'Crap I forgot about him.' He wrapped one arm around Zinnia's back and pulled her closer, with that he pulled her together with him in an awkward roll. Just as they moved from their spot, a massive pink scorpion smashed its claws on the floor.

"Aw… what a shame, you got away. Drapion please don't miss on the next one." The impersonator said and his Drapion replied with a sonorous cry.

"Close call… Luxray what the hell are you doing?" Max shouted angrily but quickly noticed that his Pokémon is currently engaged in a fight against a Rampardos. "This is bad… I only brought Luxray with me." He looked to his partner in his arms. "Zinnia, can you help me out in this one?"

"No… I left both of mine outside." She said weakly. "I didn't expect… this." She pointed at the fake Brendan.

"Something amiss?" The young brown-haired man said with a cocky grin. "Wait, don't tell me that our courageous savior has only one Pokémon with him."

"More than enough to spoil your plans." Max responded with a grin of his own.

As the two trainers exchanged cleaver words at one another, Rampardos got the upper hand on his battle and caught his opponent with a powerful charge, sending Luxray flying across the room with a headbutt.

"Hahahaha, what were you saying?"

"Zinnia, whatever happens now… Just trust me." Max said with a serious face.

"What are you- Aahh!" She felt one of his arms slid down to her lower regions with his hands going in between her thigh and grabbing her left leg. "Take your hand out of there!"

"My bad, can't do." Max steadied himself and brought Zinnia to his shoulders, holding her like a heavy sack of flour. "Luxray, plan B. Now!" He closed his eyes and shouted. The electric Pokémon cried out in reply and a bright wave of light erupted from his body.

"Gaaah! Seriously?" Brendan yelled out, getting completely blind be the sudden surge of light. "You will not escape! Drapion, Rampardos… cut those two into pieces." He can still point out if the light is still shining brightly or if just his eyes are stuck in a perpetual sea of white. However, this Brendan could clearly hear the stomping footsteps of his Pokémon running of the room. 'Geez, I'm lucky that he broke the camera before all this… Those guys would certainly make fun of me.'

* * *

"Maax! Put me down right now!" Zinnia squirmed in protest, only making the position of his hand even more uncomfortable.

Max while in the middle of running away and carrying his partner with him, can barely keep his pacing right without tripping and panicking. "You… Stop that… Both of us will fall." He said already gasping for air.

"I don't care, just put me down." She said with a furious blush on her face. "You hand is in a really unappropriated spot."

"Shut up… will you." He protested back, by tightening the grasp of his fingers.

The terrifying sound of heavy foot-steps sounded from a hallway around the corner, the entire building seaming to shake at each stomping sound. Luxray that was running right beside his trainer, speed up his pace and darted out of the place.

"Where are you going? Your furred coward!" Max shouted angrily as his little Pokémon friend vanished out of his view.

A loud bang sounded from just behind them as a massive hole appeared on the wall. Drapion and Rampardos came out of the nearly opened hole, with the black dinosaur already preparing himself to another destructive charge into the direction of his targets.

"Aaahhh, they never stop?!" Max shouted in panic, his legs going twice as fast and his face turning into a disturbing grimace of pure fear. Paying no mind to the state of his right hand, Max let slip the detail of his hands going further closer to the place where it should not get, so close to the point of the tip of his finger touching that said area.

"MAX!" Zinnia screamed in panic for a lot of reasons. In an instantaneous reaction, she jerked her body backward, forcing the man to bend his back and to lose the balance of his body. A loud thump soon followed as both of them crashed onto the floor just a few meters away from the exit door.

"Gosh, what was that for." He complained rubbing his nose, he tried to shot a dirty glare to his partner, but an ever-increasing shadow looming over them got his attention. "Gaaahh… Waaaaahh, I am too handsome to die!" Max shrunk on the floor, holding both arms in front of him.

Rampardos continued his furious charge, his eyes burning in the sight of the nearest target. With a mighty roar, the black dinosaur tossed his body forward aiming the tip of his hard head on the whimpering investigator lying on the ground.

A second shadow passed by the two of them, going faster than the rampaging Pokémon. A ferocious and even louder roar exploded on the tight hallway followed by the unmistakable sound of the heavy bodies colliding against each other.

"Huh?! I'm not dead?" Said Max in utter relief. He opened his eyes and caught the sight of a Typhlosion standing between him and his doom in the form a dinosaur. "Wha-wha-what- Who are you?" He yelled in confusion and surprise.

The fight of attrition between the two Pokémon continued for a few seconds until the Typhlosion firmed both feet on the floor and using both of his hands, he lifted his opponent in the air and tossed him at a wall.

"Look out!" Zinnia warned.

Startled by her sudden shout, Max looked to the side and noticed a pink silhouette skittering rapidly onto him. "Hey big guy, over here!" He called out for his enflamed savior but got no response. Typhlosion ignored his pleas and walked over the fallen Rampardos. "You forgot one!" He yelled again.

A dark little blur jumped from the wall, landing right beside Max. A cocky looking Weavile spared a little glance to the afraid man but quickly focused its sight on the Drapion coming ahead.

"Vi." Weavile smirked confidently and waited for its opponent to take the first action.

The little smirk coming from the Dark-Ice Pokémon proved extremely effective, Drapion clacking his pincers a few times enraged by the provocation and skittered even faster, now aiming at the shorty newcomer.

With a surprisingly high Jump, the pink Scorpion bounced from a wall, throwing himself at Weavile with pincers ready to attack. In a display of elegance and impressive speed, Weavile darted below Drapion's attack and readily followed up with a flurry of claw attacks. A heavy screech of pain came from the poison Pokémon, his body flying up to the ceiling and then bouncing back to the floor.

"Vi, vi." Weavile gave a second smirk, this time motioning with one of its claw for the scorpion to attack again.

Drapion growled, his eyes turning bright red with anger. The scorpion rolled back to his feet, darting forward like a derailed train. In a repeat of the first time, Weavile dodged to the side with a gracious jump, clinging to the wall with its sharp claws. After failing in his attack, Drapion not only missed his target, as he full headed tackled his own companion that was too focused on his battle to notice.

"That was amazing." Max said euphorically. "Get them, little guy." He cheered on Weavile, glanced back at him and replied with a cold glare.

"Where did those two came from?" Zinnia eyed the door in hope of finding their trainers but found only the empty street. "Wait, where are Salamence and Tyrantrum? I left them guarding that door."

"If Luxray is of any indication, they probably ran away too." Max said in a jester which earned him a discontent frown from Zinnia.

"Vi." Weavile jumped on the floor and prepared both claws to deliver a powerful attack. The dark-slasher tossed both arms backward and dashed at full speed inwards the collapsed Drapion and Rampardos.

Typhlosion's ferocious roar exploded on the hallway once again, this time the fire beast got on his for members and released an explosive wave of fire. The heated beam of flames barely missed Weavile that was running on the way, the little Pokémon jumped to the ceiling just in time. As the fire blast collided with the collapsed Pokémon, the entire building trembled once again, the fire wave pushing Drapion and Rampardos all the way making their body pass right through a metal door of a back room.

"Vi! Vi, vi, vi!" Weavile jumped from its spot right to where the Typhlosion is standing. Agitated cries and growls came from the little ice Pokémon. Sharp cold claws slashing away angrily on to the air while Typhlosion just looked at Weavile with disinterested eyes, barely showed any response to the other one's tantrum.

"Weavile, stop that!" A stoic voice came from the entrance, making the little Pokémon jump in response.

"Vi, vi." Weavile pointed to Typhlosion and them to the dark burning marks on the hallway.

A red-haired young man stepped in, looking rather annoyed with his Pokémon. "It's your own fault for following that stupid fire head without my orders."

"Vi!" Weavile slashed at the air again, showing some annoyance of its own.

"Hahaha, she says harsh words just like you do." Another young man entered the building, this one with dark raven hair and golden eyes. "Oh, hey there." He smiled at the pair of investigators sitting on the floor.

Max was the first one to stand up and respond with a warm smile. "Hello there. I supposed I should thank you too for sending these guys to save us, right?"

"Something like that." The man with golden eyes replied with an even wider grin. His eyes then shifted to Zinnia and his expression changed. "That looks bad, mind if I see it?" He walked closer and kneeled in front of her, pointing to the bruise on her cheek.

"Please don't." She pushed his ever-closer hand away. A frown appearing on her features. "Right now, I don't want anyone touching me." She said rather harshly.

"Ethan… Not now…" The red-haired hissed angrily. "You keep distracting yourself with unimportant matters. Stay focused for once." He casually stepped to the side and walked in, nodding to his Weavile to follow him around inside.

"Hah… Sorry about that. He is kind of grumpy right now." Ethan scratched his right cheek with an apologetic look on his face. "And sorry if I offended you. Never wanted to creep you out."

"Don't worry… If someone earned the title of creep today, certainly was not you." She glanced to Max, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Hey, I was helping you escape. A little gratitude is always great, you know?"

"Anyway, glad to see that you guys are okay. But as my partner said, we have something important to do." Ethan stood up, giving a friendly wave of his hand. "Maybe I will see you guys later." With that, he dashed in, tapping his Typhlosion on the way. Trainer and Pokémon ran after the red-haired one and his Weavile, both quickly turning over the corner and disappearing from the view.

"What a mission, huh?" Max said with a strange sense of relief.

"What a failure, you mean?" Zinnia spat back. "We got trashed and failed to capture that guy."

"However, we stopped their little show and scared all the others away from the building." He placed both hands on his waist and nodded in satisfaction. "A good day on the job."

"Then, what now?" She asked. "Are we going after them?"

"Did you saw that fire monstrosity they have with them?" Max said with shrug. "Let's leave the rest for those two, they seem like reliable fellows. Hey, never mind that. Aren't you worried that they will catch your boyfriend?"

"That is not Brendan." Zinnia glared at him. "Whoever or whatever that was… It was not Brendan."

"Well, the priceless question now is… Where is he then?" Max placed a hand on his chin, tightening his eyes.

"That's what I'm going to confirm." She finally stood up, still a little dizzy from the hits on her head. With a quick pace, she walked out to the streets and saw two familiar faces looking at her from the other side. "Hey! What are you guys doing over there?" She tried to sound angry, but could not hide the relief of seeing her precious friends safe and sound.

Salamence glided over to her, leaning in closer with his head practically begging his trainer to touch him. Tyrantrum slowly walked over but still carrying the same eyes as his friend.

"And what about you?" She turned around and asked her partner.

"Right now, I will just take a bath and make a call to my sweet wife." Max sighed with a silly smile. He shook his head in the realization of what almost happened. "You know, almost getting killed tends to drain your energies… At least I heard something like that." From the corner of the next street, a happy looking Luxray came running and rubbed his head on his trainer's leg. "AH! There you are, your little traitor. Where did you learn to run and leave your friends behind, huh?"

"If I remember correctly, probably from you." Zinnia said with a smirk.

"Okay, that was one time. And you told me to run." He replied right back at her.

"I did not! To this day, I still remember that stunt you pulled. I only told you that they were preparing to blow up the place, not for you to run away and leave me behind."

"Tomayto, Tomahto… Same difference for me."

"Gah, I don't know why I still talk to you." With an angry grunt, the draconid woman jumped on the back of her blue dragon and called her Tyrantrum back to his Poké-Ball.

"Another mystery for us to resolve, heh." He gave her a little wink and waved with one hand. "If you find him, say hello to the lover-boy for me."

"I could do that, but Brendan doesn't like you, so no." Zinnia mounted on Salamence properly and responded to her friend with a wave of her own. With a little tap on the dragon's back, Salamence flew over to the sky going directly to a little town on the other side of the region.

"Lover-boy, if you get a hold of what happened today. I hope you give these bastards hell… They deserve it."

* * *

At this hour, the sun is shining its brightest on Hoenn, making this early afternoon nice and warm. However, the only signs of this midday are the little ray of lights passing through the heavy and dark curtains on the bedroom windows. Sleeping soundly on his bed lies a very tired Brendan, buried deep inside blankets despite the hot temperature of the day.

While Brendan is sleeping on his room, a pair of Pokémon are watching over the house, more accurately staying over the living room. "Mur, Mur!" Aster did a little dance in front of Ekkisu, trying to get his attention. The large Sceptile spared a simple glance to the little fur ball and promptly ignored her. "MUR!" The Whismur cried even louder, showing an object on her hands with a wobbling wave of her arms.

Ekkisu rolled his eyes and turned his body away from her, focusing his attention at the open window in front of him, watching as the grass sway over the blowing winds.

Aster pouted angrily for being ignored, she stomped her tiny feet on the floor and turned away from the Sceptile. Annoyed and grumpy, the little pink ball marched her way to the bedroom making as much noise as she could with each step she took. As she reached the side of the large bed, Aster jumped upwards, landing right beside her friend's body.

"Mur, Mur." She softly tapped Brendan on his forehead, making him stir and groan.

"Aster?" Brendan asked with his eyes still closed. "What's wrong?"

"Mur, Mur, Mur… MUR!" Aster mercilessly bombarded him with complaints. At first, she was pointing to the door, most likely to Ekkisu, then she pointed to Brendan which at that point her ranting got even worse.

"H-Hey, calm down a little." Brendan chuckled at her antics. This little Whismur sure knows how to be noise when she wants, but after he patted her on the head she slowly stopped and only looked at him while dangling her head from side to side. "Now explain it slowly. What happened?"

Aster nodded firmly, but instead of sending another barrage of little "Murs" she just raised both arms and presented the object on her hands to Brendan. As she lifted the PokéNav, the gadget turned on and flashed a bright light on the trainer's unprepared eyes.

"Waahh, Aster!" Brendan cowered behind his blanket, a tingling sensation taking over his eyes after being flashed like that. "That was so unnecessary..."

"Mur, Mur." With a happy cry, the vicious Whismur placed the PokéNav on top of Brendan's chest and casually hopped off the bed. After getting back at someone for being ignored, Aster skipped her way out of the room.

"To think that I almost forgot the temper you have…" With a playful smile, Brendan crawled out of his blankets and grabbed the PokéNav on his hands. "Someone was calling me?" A little icon flashing at the corner also got his attention. "And also left a message, let's see… Eleven voice messages? What in the heavens- All from Steven?!"

Steven was always a unique person, but even for him to leave so many voice mails… Something is wrong, Brendan can clearly see that. With a little hesitation, he opened the mails and clicked at the first one he got.

'Brendan, why are you not picking up? I need to talk with you.' Steven's loud voice almost cracked the sound coming out of the device.

With another clicking sound, Brendan played the second one. 'This is serious! Where are you?'

Then the third one. 'Brendan… I know we had a difficult talk, but please. Just call me back.'

"Steven… You're scaring me here." Brendan moved his finger to close the mailbox and call his friend, but he stopped before clicking it. Instead, he moved his finger downwards again and played the fourth one.

'Stop ignoring me!' Steven's voice echoed on the room, his shout cracking the sound once again.

The fifth one. 'I walked away from the crowd… they are so noisy. I don't know what else to say to them…'

The sixth. 'Listen, doesn't matter what I saw... what everyone saw. I know that is not you, it cannot be you. Just call me back.'

"What is happening out there?" Brendan looked to his closed window and laughed nervously. "Did I miss the end of the world or something?" Steven distressed voice and messages shook the champion to his core, his friend rarely gets so worked up like this and even the explosion on his family company building did not manage to unsettle Steven likes.

With a troubled sigh, he played the next audio, unsure of what he would get from this one.

'Is this even the right thing to do? I cannot say… But I will do it anyway. I'm sending you a video, don't even know how they separated this so fast, but that is the press for you.' Steven let out a disheartened chuckled, something more akin to a nervous little laugh. His heavy breathing showing how exhausted he feels. 'Listen, this may shock you or give you a different type of emotion, I don't know… Just, whatever you decide to do, talk to me first.'

After hearing the message, Brendan finally noticed a small little icon at the corner of the screen. This icon showing that an attachment is available for him. He held his finger right on top of the play icon for this video, he eyed that button for more than a few seconds before mustering the courage to play.

'Hoenn belongs to Team Rainbow Rocket!' Brendan's jaw dropped as the video started to play. He saw himself standing in a newsroom, dressed in a completely strange set of black clothes. However, the worse of it all is the evil look that he is carrying on his face, an image so wrong that a sickening sensation shuffled inside his guts.

With each passing moment, Brendan was getting more and more disgusted with his own image. At some point, he started to even distrust himself or his sense of reality. There was no way he would say anything like that or do those things, but that was him, that was his face and his mouth saying those words, no mistake about that.

'The strongest one, huh?' Zinnia's voice awakened him from his self-doubting trance.

"Zinnia?!" He clenched the screen in desperation. He watched as she engaged in a fight against that fake Brendan. He grinned when she tackled the imposter on the ground, but his happiness was short lived as his copy tricked her and smacked her on the face twice.

"You… STAY AWAY FROM HER!" His scream echoed loudly in his room, the sound of his desperate voice startling both Aster and Ekkisu, who appeared at the door with a worried look on her faces. "Get your hands away… hah… from… hah… Gaaarh!" Brendan bent forward, taking one hand to his chest; A burning pain, no, more like a smoldering urge exploded inside of him.

Barely keeping his eyes open in with the turmoil happening in his heart, Brendan did his best to keep watching, hoping for anyone or anything to appear and save his loved one. "Zinnia…" A single tear escaped his eyes, sliding down on his cheek and falling over the screen. Just then the image died and the video ended. No salvation or closure, the last scene left there was the sight of his adventurous draconid woman beaten and hurt.

The pain stopped, the confusion, frustration and the feeling of hopelessness, all vanished. Brendan raised his head and fixed his eyes on the wall in front of him. Inside of him something strange and yet so familiar exploded into existence, taking over every bit of his being. "This… I…" He held to his chest again, but now in the realization of something. "I remember this… calling." Brendan slowly turned his head to the side, his eyes landing on his wardrobe, a strange glowing red light pouring out from the cracks.

With a soulless motion, Brendan slid out of his bed and slowly approached the ominous looking furniture. He pulled the door opens, his eyes locking on a specific drawer that remained closed for years. "I am not weak… I'm not afraid of them." He placed his right hand on the handle and pulled it open. "And I had enough of this." His lips curved into a wicked smile as he saw a glowing orb and a twitching black colored Poké-ball.

The front door of the house opened with a bang, the heavy sound of steps resounding as someone hastily make way to the bedroom. "BRENDAN!" Steven popped out on the door, his tired face changing to a terrified expression as he imagined to get a proper look on his friend. "Wha- What are you doing?" He asked loudly.

Brendan turned over, holding both the red orb and the black Poké-ball in his hands. His face is now nothing like it usually is; An evil grin is tarnishing his usually friendly features and his eyes are scary looking, especially his left one that now has a glowing red omega pattern shining on its iris. "Taking action." He responded with a certain venom in his tone. "Steven, they will regret setting a single foot on Hoenn."

That way of speaking, that burning hatred showing in his friend's face and that symbol in his eye. All the pieces quickly fell into place into Steven's head and he dreaded the conclusion. "Groudon..." Just saying the name sent chills into his spine, but liking it or not. The raging lava primal has awakened once more.

* * *

A huge uproar spread around the underwater facility. All the members of Team Rainbow Rocket are cheering and celebrating the huge success of their operation today. From the first level to the third one, their voices are loud and everywhere, making the only noise free spots Giovanni's office and the deepest level where are the sprawling hallways full of labs.

Only the most dedicated scientists are present at his level when everyone else is chatting or drinking, turning the labs a lonely and rather spooky place on this moment. In the furthest room and darkest corner of this level sits the most important lab and the most terrifying place of this criminal base.

A large room, mostly empty save for a few computers and two glass tubes. The largest tube is filled a greenish transparent liquid and holds a strange mass that keeps changing its color from blue to a dark red. To the left side is a smaller glass tube, this one having just a small iron base for a light object.

The strange mass inside the largest tube is a point of various gossips and serious concerns around the scientific team, but also their proudest accomplishment. Still, they cannot ignore the ominous feeling coming from that subject, something that makes this room empty most of the time with the only exception being when Giovanni gives a specific order. Yet, on the last passing days, someone has spent more than a few hours inside this creepy room, going as far as to enter without notifying the people in charge.

In this moment of great joy and celebration between the entire team, this person has chosen to come here yet again.

"Haha… I did… I overcame everything in my way." This person stepped away from the dark corner and walked to the big tube. As the light shone in his features, it revealed the same Brendan with black clothes that commanded the attack this morning.

"I never felt so capable… so powerful." He touched his left cheek and smiled. "And is all thanks to this." With a gentle action, he twisted the skin of his face and all of his turned into a grey color, a false face detaching from his head, showing the true features behind the mask.

"Is because it changed me to him or only because I was wearing it." Rush looked to the grey mask on his hand, his little smile becoming twisted in a full evil grin. "Hahaha, does it matter?" He opened lifted the lid on the smaller tub and place the mask on the support. As it rested on the proper spot, the devious object shifted its size, colors, and shape. After uncanny spams, it reset to a neutral form, a little bigger than it was before but now colored in the same strange blue and dark red pattern from the sinister blob from the other tube.

Rush gave the mask one last look and then shifted his gaze to the other thing in front of him. With all the care in the world, he placed one hand on the glass and caressed its cold surface as if he was touching the most precious thing in his life. "With you here, I can take them, all of them." He snorted and trembled, his behavior getting stranger even for him. "Ha, Brendan, Ethan, Josh… I can feel like squashing all three of them. Maybe I can even take on Red himself?" He looked surprised by his own words, his face breaking down to a hysterical state. "Heh, hehehe… Hahahahah!"

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	13. A Balanced Soul

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes:** _This chapter is a littler shorter but I think is a good length for this one, a good balance before a huge "hit"_

* * *

_**Earlier on the same day of the attack on TV Mauville -** _

From the large windows at the back wall side, tiny faint rays of lights sipped inside the dark and cool room. Those gentle shining beams brought with them the warming feeling of the rising sun, turning the dreary scene on the gym leader's chamber into imagery taken out of a painting, little sunrays surrounding a peaceful young man, entirely focused on his meditation.

Like most of his mornings, Wally woke up very early in the morning with the starry sky still bathing the town with its lights. The young trainer to this day takes to heart the training he got from his predecessor and honors the same routine the previous gym leader had. Therefore, he wakes up before the sun rises and go directly to Peltaburg's Pokébom gym, to train his mind as much as he trains his body.

Even if the gym leader is the earliest person awake in the town, he is rarely the exception. Most of the other trainers following under the Balance Badge Gym wakes up almost as early as him, something all of them learned after training under Norman for so long. Moreover, with so many of its inhabitants getting active at the first sunlight, Petalburg has turned in something like the town of dawn.

The busy sound of the city growing further with each passing second, more and more people starting their day-to-day life. Even immersed in his deep concentration, Wally could hear the other trainers entering the building, their loud voices being exceedingly louder than usual, something that not escaped his perception.

'Is today one of those days?' Wally mused with himself, a little chuckle coming from him.

And like he expected, the peaceful and quiet atmosphere of his room was disturbed with the rattling sound of doors opening. A woman with dark green hair and fierce looking face features stepped in and made a little noise with her throat to make sure she has his attention. "Hey Wally, good morning..." She said with a little apologetic smile.

"Good morning, Jan." He replied with his eyes still closed, barely moving from his calm posture. "You sound disturbed, is there anything you want to say?" He slowly opened his eyes, the pair of Ice-blue colored iris gazing patiently but still carrying a stern look on them.

"Hah, sometimes I don't know if you just like to imitate Norman that much or if that coolness comes with the job. You really sound like him, though." Jan giggled and waved one hand in front of her in dismissal.

He only continued to look at her, giving a short smile as a response for her harmless joke.

"Anyway, I came here to give you a notice." She looked behind her and shook her head with a bit of annoyance. "You got a challenger coming in."

"Now?!" He finally broke his composed posture and stood up, looking at the woman with curious eyes. "And how did someone managed to beat everyone else so quickly? You barely got inside, this is- Oh…" He finally realized what is happening.

"Yeah, the little rascal is here again." She said with a smirk.

"Let me guess, all of you are just letting him in. No battles, riddles or challenges?" Wally sighed a bit tired. "This is not helpful, you all know that, right?"

"I could stop him on his tracks and challenge him to a battle… But you know how that ends." Jan was the one letting out a sigh this time. "Besides, he really likes you. Just indulge him a bit; it's so early that I doubt any other trainers will show up at this hour. No harm, no problem."

Wally opened his mouth to counteract her point but stopped midway. Despite all the trouble and time spent when those random visits happen, he cannot bring himself to hate these little encounters. "Sure, let him in." The young gym leader said with a warm grin.

"Cool, I will get him." Jan nodded pleased, she turned to leave but stopped to give Wally one last look. "Just to let you know, I appreciate this… we all do." Her eyes locked with his and a faint blush crossed her cheeks as his serious gaze seemed to reach inside her soul. "I-I should go… I'll be right back."

He could not help himself but chuckle at her nervous acting at the end. At the begging of his days as a gym leader, Wally got nothing more than scoffs and judging eyes from the others but within a few months, all of them started to show respect and a sense of proud for having him as a leader. Now Jan even throws at him the same stares she gave Norman when he was the head of Petalburg's Pokémon gymnasium.

"Today is the day!" a shrilling voice sounded from the side of the door.

'Here he comes.' Wally thought to himself.

"Wally! I came here to challenge you." A brazen looking boy pushed the door open with a vibrant smirk on his face. "Today is the day that I, Toby, con… conque… That I beat you!" After failing on his delivery, even with all the practice, he put on it, he finished his sentence looking all red and embarrassed, but never losing the confident smirk.

Toby, the liveliest children in the city and a recurring face on this gym, is a little boy with blond hair, sharp brown eyes, and fuzzy eyebrows. He wears a yellow colored t-shirt with an image of a purple Poké-Ball in the middle, his pants are dark blue and his shoes are gray. Being only eight years old, he proudly announces himself as the youngest Pokémon trainer of Petalburg, although he has not started his journey as a trainer, saying that he will only start his quest when he beats the gym leader and gets a Balance Badge for himself.

"I can see that." Wally responded with a simple nod. His voice is serene and serious as if he was speaking to any other challenge that shows up. "Then I presume that you learned from your past mistakes."

Toby pointed his index finger forward and proudly announced. "Nuahahaha! This time is going to be different." Right behind him a female giggle soon followed, after his brave words. "Hey, I'm serious here."

"And I'm rooting for you." Jan said doing a soft fist bump on his back. "Good luck." She said with a warm smile that quickly turned Toby into a giant red tomato. Then she waved at him and closed the door as she walked away.

"Girls… She doesn't get it." The boy said still blushing. "I don't need luck."

"First foul." Wally said calmly, but his face showing a disapproving scowl. "Never be overconfident, haven't I said that a dozen of times to you?"

"Gah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… Wait a minute!" Toby stomped at the floor angrily. "I'm here today as a challenger and not as a student to be schooled."

"So be it." Wally nodded once; he closed his eyes and walked over to the backside of the large room. "Prepare yourself." He announced with no ceremony.

"Nuhaha! That's more like it." Toby clapped his left fist on the palm of his right hand. He then pulled a Poké-Ball from one of his pockets and threw it at the center of the room. "Makuhita, let's beat Wally and get our Badge!"

A little yellow fighter Pokémon appeared on the indoor's arena. Makuhita waved both arms in the air, letting a happy cry as he prepared for the fight.

Wally reached for one of his Poké-Balls and tossed it forward, matching his challenger with a Pokémon of his own. A grumpy looking Zangoose appeared in front of Makuhita, the white bunny Pokémon only stared at her opponent, not showing interest and neither evil intent towards the fighter-type.

"You still remember the rules, right?" Wally asked just to make sure, this would not be the first time Toby has forgotten something he has been taught.

"You bet! We battle until one trainer's team has been wiped out." Toby responded right back, grinning for showing Wally that he remembers. "Not that it matters anyway, I only got Makuhita. And we will not lose!"

'And what about the other ones?' Wally frowned but decided to let the boy be. Would be a nightmare if he confused Toby and had to explain everything again. "Good to see that you still remember it. Now officially starting our battle. I, as the gym leader of Petalburg, accept your challenge-"

"Makuhita, get him while he is distracted. Use **Arm Thurst**!" Toby shouted and his Pokémon partner responded with a rallied cry.

Makuhita jumped forward, loosing a flurry of open-palmed arm thrusts. In his surprise attack, the yellow fighter scored a total of three hits, pushing his opponent backward and the suddenness of the blind strike making the white bunny stumble to the floor.

"Yes, we got them!" Toby cheered victoriously. "Nuahahaha! We trained all week to prepare that one."

'Second foul… this kid.' Wally rolled his eyes with Toby's lacking sense of chivalry or even honor in battle.

Zangoose stood on her feet again, this time glaring at the Makuhita with vexed eyes.

"Whaaaat?! How can it stand up?" Toby's jaw fell with the shock. "That was our super-secret technique."

The little Makuhita glanced to his trainer as surprised as the boy is. He then looked to the Zangoose giving him sharp glares that made him whimper scared to his bones.

"Super-secret technique you say? To me, that looks like a cheap shot." Wally said in a reprimanding tone.

"A cheap shot still a shot, right?" Toby said back. "We should try anything to win."

'Third foul.' Wally frowned again. "Your call, challenger. Don't get distracted, our battle is not over yet."

"That's right. Makuhita, bring that Zangoose down just like we trained. Use **Arm Thrust**!"

Makuhita jumped toward his opponent and unleashed the same volley of palm-thrusts. However, this time his tiny hands landed on nothing but the air; Zangoose dodged from the attack with ease and stepped to the side closing the gap between them.

"Zangoose with half speed, use **Crush Claw**." Wally commanded and his Pokémon followed.

Zangoose clashed her claws on Makuhita's right side. The force of the impact was enough to make the little yellow fighter to screech painfully and weakly wobble out of balance.

"Increase the tempo, use **Crush Claw**." Wally ordered.

With an arch movement of her arm, Zangoose stroke the fighter with an uppercut attack, sending Makuhita flying to the other side of the arena.

"Makuhita!" Toby yelled in panic. The little boy attempted to move in and help his Pokémon.

"If you move to help your partner, you are forfeiting the battle." Wally's stern voice stopped Toby before he could enter the arena. The boy glared at him and then looked at his Makuhita with a worried look.

The chubby yellow Pokémon slowly pushed himself out of the ground; he barely kept his posture straight, but still held his arms at ready to continue to fight.

"Makuhita… Yeah, we will not lose." Toby sighed in relief.

"You have a good Pokémon partner, he is very brave." Wally said with a little grin. Being this the first time on this battle where he was not frowning or shaking his head in disapproval. "But are you a good partner for him?"

"Tsk, I will show you." Toby frowned and clenched his fists. "Makuhita, let's use our hidden special super-secret move!" The boy shouted very loudly, pointing with one hand up to the ceiling.

Makuhita looked at his trainer a bit confused, but strangely enough, getting a second wind from it and showing complete faith on Toby's words.

"Go in and let's win this!" Toby commanded.

With an affirmative nod, the chubby fighter ran in, getting closer and closer to his opponent.

Zangoose continued to watch the fighter, just waiting for the perfect timing for a counter.

As the two Pokémon got face-to-face with each other, Toby did an amazingly high jump on his spot and shouted from the top of his lungs. "Makuhita, use **Flamethrower**!"

'What?!' Taken aback from the order the boy gave, Wally gave one short step forward, carefully watching the scene unfold with apprehensiveness.

Makuhita inhaled as much air as he could, inflating his little chubby body to its maximum. Then the yellow fighter jerked his head forward and unleashed everything out without holding nothing back.

In its first reaction, Zangoose guarded herself by raising both arms. The white bunny waited for the attack to come, embracing herself for the impact. Nevertheless, nothing came. Standing in front of the Zangoose, Makuhita kept blowing air out of his mouth, even with a few drops of spit flying out, but no flames appeared.

"Hey! Something is wrong." Toby pointed out. "Why are no flames coming out? I yelled just like that lady did and her Ninetales spat fire."

Makuhita stopped blowing air at Zangoose and looked back to his trainer. The chubby fighter let out a confused cry and shrugged.

"Unbelievable…" Wally face-palmed himself so hard, that the sound of his hand slapping on his forehead echoed all the way to the other room. "Zangoose, use **Close Combat**!" He yelled angrily in frustration.

Zangoose's pink eyes got sharper and her arms dropped to the sides. With an absurd speed, Zangoose disappeared from her spot and turned into a blur of white and red. Sharp black claws slashed at Makuhita's back, then another slash came from the front, then another and another. After the seventh consecutive hit, a more powerful attack came swinging from bellow, tossing the chubby fighter on the air completely out of his senses.

"Noo!" Toby yelled with tears forming on his eyes. The boy dashed inside the arena, kneeling down next to his Pokémon.

"Your partner is out of combat. Seeing as you have no other member in your team, this battle is over." Wally announced coldly.

"I thought… I thought we could…" With big tears rolling down his cheeks, the boy embraced his Pokémon friend, burying his face on the Makuhita's chubby yellow body. "I thought we could win." He finally broke down and started to cry loudly.

With his battle over, Wally called his Zangoose back to her Poké-Ball. He looked over to the crying boy and sighed, truthfully a long and deep sigh escaped his lips. The young tea-green haired man calmly strolled over to the collapsed Makuhita and crouched next to Toby.

"Hey, you don't have to cry." Wally said patting the boy on his head. "You did better today."

"Really?!" Toby lifted his head, showing the mess of tears that his face has turned into. "I did great?"

"No, but did better." Wally responded with his usual stern voice. Toby frowned, looking displeased at the gym leader's comment. Nevertheless, he stopped crying. "Why don't we take your friend here to the Pokémon center and get him healed? And after that, we can eat a piece of sweet cake, what you say?"

"A cake?! Yay!" Toby jumped with joy. "I want a choco cake."

"Heh, then let's have a choco cake."

* * *

"Brendan! Are you here?" Zinnia jumped from Salamence's back, the blue dragon gasped in surprised when she did, as they are still fairly high on the air. She landed quite graciously in front of the simple house entrance door, her heart going crazy with the expectation. 'Please be here… I need to see you.' She slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open.

As she entered the living room, a pair of frantic light-blue eyes stared at her, a certain ting of disappointment showing on the gaze of those eyes. Steven, who is sitting on the bigger couch, just sighed and buried his face down on his hands again. "I thought you were him." He said with a low voice.

She looked at him with an unpleasant look, a bad taste still lingers in her mouth after their last and first encounter. "What are you doing here? No, I don't care. Where is Brendan?" She shoved the door close with a lot of force behind her arms, regretting the action right after as a large crack appeared on the wood next to the handle.

"He's gone… I watched him leave." Steven responded but the way he was saying sounded more like he was talking to himself.

"Gone? Where to?" She looked to all sides, looking for any visible clues but found nothing. Her eyes landed back on Steven and her head began to fume. "Can you at least look at the person you are talking to?"

"MUR!" Aster poked her head at Brendan's bedroom door, as he saw Zinnia standing at the other room, the little Whismur came running after the woman, jumping straight on her arms. "Mur, Mum…" Aster buried her face on Zinnia's chest, whimpering loudly and shaking like a green leaf on a stormy day.

"Aster?! What happened, girl?" Gently stroking the pink fur ball on the back of her head, the draconid woman never felt so terrible in her life as she is feeling now, seeing her little Whismur shaking in fear is too much for her. "OI! What the hell happened here?" She shouted so loud that was impossible for Steven to ignore her.

He raised his head and gave a saddened glance to Aster. "She probably got scared when she looked at Brendan. Or when he looked at her." He responded simply.

"Brendan scared her?" Zinnia glanced down to Aster, then looked back to Steven. "Don't be ridiculous, Aster is the bravest Pokémon on this planet and Brendan of all people would never scare her." She then moved forward and pointed at him, with a judgmental look on her eyes. "Or maybe you are just a stupid person and a shitty friend to boot, to get fooled by that framing bullcrap those criminals made this morning."

Steven suddenly jumped from his seat, standing face to face with Zinnia. "Listen, lady, if you think that little episode just early this morning was scary… you are in for a world of hurt ahead of yourself." He growled in frustration and hesitantly took a step backward. "Look, I'm sorry that you suffered from a difficult experience. I didn't mean to be insensitive."

"You think I'm pathetic enough to get scared after a few punches?" She spat back. "That freak passing as Brendan was not trying to scare me, he was using Brendan's face to create panic with everyone else."

"Hah, that much I know. And that is a big problem in itself… Using the face of Hoenn's champion to spread fear, that is unacceptable." Steven fell back on the couch, placing his right hand on his forehead. "But the biggest problem now is Brendan, the real Brendan."

"What are you-"

"If this impostor though he was being scary and intimidating… He is sorely mistaken." With a troubled sigh, Steven looked at her and his eyes showed something strange, a glow that she quickly recognized as one she had a long time ago. He is terrified too.

"Where is Brendan… please, tell me."

"He is going after this Rainbow Rocket… nah, more precisely, he is going after the man that did this to you." He pointed to the big red bruise on her cheek. "I couldn't stop him… I didn't want to. But someone has to bring him back before is too late. I don't know where he is, but get to him. Talk to Brendan, before he starts something that will have no point of return."

Something in his voice or the way he is speaking hit Zinnia directly on her chest. She felt a strange feeling bursting out inside of her, driving her crazy with each moment she is spending here instead of being out there looking for Brendan. "I will find him, doesn't matter where he is. I will find Brendan." She pulled the door open, this time breaking the entire part where she cracked before, with even the handle falling on the floor. With desperate haste, Zinnia dashed outside carrying Aster on her arms and vanished as quickly as she could, in a distraught and urgent quest to find her lover.

With a tingle of hope lingering in his heart, Steven only watched as the hasty woman ran away from the house. He buried his face on his hands again, struggling with himself about the decisions he took today.

" _This is not right Brendan, listen to yourself." Steven pushed his friend back, standing in front of the door._

" _Why you? You of all people, are defending them?" Brendan shouted in rage, his voice making Aster jump backward and cower behind her large ears._

" _I'm not… defending anyone. If what they said is true, they are behind that attack and my father's current state." Steven clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "I want nothing more than to see retribution, they need to pay."_

" _And they will pay. Hoenn is my home, the people here are like a huge family to me, to us." Brendan grasped his friend's shoulder and looked at him directly in his eyes. "Steven, get out of my way." He said with a burning hatred._

_That voice, the intensity and evil intent on that voice; this is not Brendan speaking, Steven can feel that he knows that. But he also knows deep inside himself that he wants to see those criminals get what they deserve, he should be not thinking like this, but every fiber of him is only thinking about revenge._

_Steven noticed that the more he stares at Brendan's eyes, no, specifically at his left eye, the more he feels enraged himself. Something is messing with his head and he knows exactly what is. That red_ _**Ω** _ _symbol,_ _burning brightly on his friend's iris. In his confusion and fear of that red glowing thing, Steven did what he shouldn't, he stepped aside and let Brendan walk out of the room, taking his Sceptile with him._

With sorrow and regret, he looked at the open door to the bedroom and sighed again. "What have I done?"

* * *

As promised, Wally took Toby to breakfast on a local pastry; in one that the young Gym leader usually attends to a lot, despite his mature and calm demeanor he has quite a sweet tooth. The boy had a field day with cakes and different flavored milkshakes; he literally made Wally pay dearly for his defeat on their battle.

After their break, Wally went by his house and grabbed a little something, right before dragging the hardheaded little trainer to the shore of Route 104. There he used this free time to drill some… a lot more lessons on Toby's head, a challenging task to say the least.

"Hum… so then we CAN use **Flamethrower**?" Toby asked curiously.

"No Toby, I pretty sure a Makuhita cannot learn how to breathe fire." Wally responded with a frustrated sigh.

"But you said that we just need to train a move before using." The boy said back complaining.

"I said that you need to train with your partner before using any moves, you can't just come up with things on the fly." The green-haired teacher responded. "Please try to stay focused on what I am saying."

"Pssh, that is easy. I'm always focused." Toby said with a bright and large grin.

"Yeah… I can see that." Wally brought his left hand to his back and pulled something that he was keeping on the back waist of his pants. A fairly wide green book with a picture of a little Mudkip on the cover; the book itself appears to be old and covered with sticky notes on the edge of the pages. "I think you are old for me to trust you with this." He said waving the book in front of him.

"Really?!" Toby said very excitedly. "What is that book for? Oh, oh, I know! Is a super-secret book about hyper strong moves!" He got on his feet and began to jump all over the place, his eyes shining with expectation.

"What's up with you and your super-secret things?" Wally shook his head, but small smile sneaks its way to his lips. "This is a book guide on how to raise and battle with your Pokémon partner. Sorry to burst your bubble but it has nothing secret to it."

"Awww, not even a little bit secret?" Toby whined with his shoulders deflating with disappointment.

"No, not a little bit." Wally reached with his arms and softly tapped the tip of the book on the little one's head. "But this was my guide when I was in your age and learning how to raise my team. See, still got all the sticky notes I put here."

Toby grabbed hold of the book and quickly began to browse through the pages, and with every little note he read, his eyes shone even brighter with happiness. "This is so cool; I never had a book guide… And you gave me yours… Thank you." The bright little spots on his eyes quickly turned into tears that rolled down his cheeks, he even sobbed a little bit. However, his smile was never this wide and sincere as it is now.

"Take good care of it, okay?" Wally said as he patted the boy's head.

"I will, I promise."

"Hey, guys. What are you two doing out here?" A blond man with bronzed skin and fuzzy eyebrows called them from behind. He came from the little port on the other side of the beach, and from the clothes he is using one can easily see that he is a sailor.

"DAD! Look, look. Wally gave me his guidebook, is full of notes and all. It's really cool." Toby dashed at full speed, spraying sand as he sprinted his way to his father.

The man kneeled down and grabbed his son in a tight embrace. "Is that so? That is really cool, have you properly thanked him for it?"

The boy responded with a lively nod.

"Sorry Wally, this little runt is giving you trouble again." The blond sailor said scratching the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it. To tell the truth, everyone on the Gym would feel sad if Toby doesn't appear every week to make the place cheerful." Wally got on his feet and brushed the sand away from his bottom. "Even with his antics, he is a fun guy to have around."

"Hey! I'm there as a proper and dig... digne… respected Pokémon trainer." Toby said, having troubles with a word again. "I'm not just the fun kid!"

"So you are saying that you are not fun?" His father asked seriously, but hiding a playful grin from his son.

"Whaaat? I'm the funniest kid around." Toby responded with a large pout. His little act making both adults lose themselves in a fit of laughers.

"Wal- Ah… Ha… Wally! I… Finally found you." An exhausted looking May came running from Petalburg, the young woman is pathing and gasping for air; she probably ran a long way to make it here.

"May? What is the matter? You look ready to pass out from exhaustion." Wally said with a little chuckle, but his friendly expression faded away after she gave him a worried and alarmed look.

"I… need to talk to you." She said back, giving Toby and his father a sorry short smile.

"Hey Toby, why don't we go back home and show your cool new book to your grandma?" The older man nodded to May, getting her hind of wanting to talk privately with Wally.

"Wait, I want to play with Wally a bit more." The boy planted his feet on the ground in protest. "This is not fair, I was here first."

"Don't be like that; you can play all you want with him later." The father grabbed him by his shoulder and began pushing him forward. "See you later Wally."

"See you later, Arthur. You too, Toby." The green-haired trainer said back, giving a simple nod to the man.

"NEXT TIME I WILL WIN!" Toby's voice echoed on the open beach as his father dragged away back to the town.

Wally changed his gaze back to May and felt a soft tingle on his chest after noticing the desperate look she was giving him. "May, what happened?"

"I need your help… I really. I don't know what to do." She clenched the clothing of her shirt, glancing down to the sands beneath her feet.

"Sure, whatever I can do to help-"

"Is Brendan… I don't know what to do." She said right back, cutting him before he could finish speaking.

'Of course it is…' Wally thought to himself, a frown founding its way to his features.

"I think he lost is mind." She said in an outburst.

"Come again?" He asked with a funny face, the way she phrased that sentence sounded a bit surreal for him. "Okay, May. I need you to calm down and explain everything, from the start."

"Okay… Okay. But I'm scared about this… I think Brendan is in real trouble this time."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	14. Prelude of Fire

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

Yelps sounded on the room, as a large man got shoved harshly against the partition at the side of his desk. "I will ask you one last time. Where are they?!" Brendan shouted, his voice carrying a fierce tone so loud and menacing that scared everyone around him.

"I-I told you… I don't know what you're talking about." Tabitha tried to shove Brendan's hands away, but instead, he was pushed again; this time a pained grunt coming from him as his left side scratched at the corner of his desk. "Please… I'm telling the truth. Team Magma doesn't exist anymore… I'm living an honest life now."

The chubby tall man is now a scientist working at the Weather Institute of Route 119, as he said, it has been a long time since he wore his red clothing set, going now with more neutral colors, sometimes even a navy blue shirt, much to his distaste... However, his words are falling on deaf ears, Brendan is not buying his story or making any effort to believe him.

"Tabitha, you would never truly turn your back to that life. Once, you said to me that Team Magma was everything to you, now you want me to believe that is over?" Brendan snarled, his fingers pressing, even more, its hold on the man's shirt. "You will never be anything else but Tabitha from Team Magma. And I know that you're involved with this new organization."

"I swear to you, I know nothing of this… My days as a criminal are over." Tabitha responded nervously.

"LIAR!" Brendan's roar echoed inside the room. Not only Tabitha but also four other scientists yelped in fear.

"Young man, I ask of you to calm down your temper. Please." A grizzled bald scientist stepped forward, placing one of his hands on Brendan's shoulders. "I can vouch for Tabitha. He is a serious worker and he has been with us for years now. Whatever you suspect him of doing, he is not guilty."

With a dissatisfied growl, Brendan pushed Tabitha forward, finally released his grip on the poor man's shirt. He then turned around and glared to the man behind him. "You vouch for him?" Brendan asked with a scowl. "Do you know what he has done in the past, what he almost accomplished?"

"I do." The senior scientist replied with a solemn expression. "And I also know that you stopped him. I was here when you showed up and scattered them away." His voice seemed to have an effect on the youngster's mood, his scowl slowly fading away. "You saved us and you saved him too. If he has a new life now, is because you were there."

"I am really telling the truth… I know nothing of this Team Rainbow Rocket." Tabitha said with a calm voice. He stood up next to Brendan and adjusted the collar of his shirt. "And for what I saw on the news, they are bad news… Very bad news." The chubby man casually walked away, looking for shelter behind his senior's back. "You should stay away from them."

"Stay away?... STAY AWAY?!" Brendan's voice exploded ever so loudly again, his glare practically piercing through the senior scientist, completely fixated on Tabitha's face. Just as before, his chest flared up, an intense feeling burning inside of him and together with this irate turmoil of emotion, the strange glow came back alive on his left eye. "I will destroy them!"

Tabitha stepped away from the cover of the bald man's back. His mouth opening more at each step, but it is not a reaction out of fear, no is more of a shocking realization. 'That symbol… No way.' Tabitha swallowed the hesitation that was stuck on his throat and stepped closer to Brendan again. "Kid… What they have done to you?" He waited for any response, but the young Champion only stood there, looking at him, seamlessly with no clear answer to give. "Look, I said before that I have no connection to any group anymore… but you are somewhat right." Tabitha pulled a little electronic equipment from one of his pockets and showed it to him. "I could not just forget Team Magma, not entirely… Therefore, I kept a camera always running on our abandoned headquarters, just for memory sake, a stupid thing really. But…"

With a loud and uncomfortable sigh, Brendan made clear how impatience he is, prompting the chubby man to get to the point.

"A month or so ago, I got a response from our old alarm." Tabitha pressed a button, showing a static image of a man, dressed in full black, taking down the camera. "I have a strong belief, that this new group took over our old base. Hey! Don't do-"

That was it; Brendan needed no more than this. After getting a location, he stormed out of the room with no ceremonies nor any apologies for the scene he has just done.

"Why didn't you give him that information before he started to press you against the wall?" The bald senior gave a questioning look to the chubby man.

"You saw the look in his eyes, right?" Tabitha frowned, somewhat regretting showing that image to the young trainer. "I would like to hope that he will not make a mistake, but… He is already making one." Tabitha fell on his chair; he carefully searched for something on his other pocket, pulled out an old photo from some old friends of his. 'Maxxie, our mistake is still active out there. Now that kid is cursed with Groudon just like we were.'

* * *

A blue dot is cutting right pass through the clean clouds at high speed, leaving its mark like a little trail of white following on its path; at least that is what everyone at Route 127 can see. Flying above the clouds, going as fast as he can go, Salamence is silently flapping his wings at full speed, with Zinnia sat on his back, they both are scanning the entire region in search of the young champion.

With each little island she looks and finds nothing, Zinnia gives two quick glances to her PokéNav. She is waiting for something, any message or reply, but after several minutes of constantly checking, nothing came. "Brendan, where are you?" She tightened the hold of her hands on Salamence's back, making his blue scales stands with the attrition.

The blue dragon slowed his flight, raising his body suddenly and forcing his trainer to wrap her arms around his neck so she would not fall.

"Salamence, hey! What's wrong?" Her voice coming out muffled by his hispid skin, as she barely got room to breathe with her face glued on his back.

With a soft growl, the dragon got back on his normal gliding position. He then growled once more, pointing to an insanely bright spot shining brighter than the sunlight itself on the other side of the sea.

"What's that light? Aarhg, it's so bright." She pulled the back part of her shirt, trying to shield her eyes from the blinding light, but even through the fabric of her cloth, she could still see that shining spot. Luckily the brightness died off in seconds, however, a storm of rumbling noises took its places. A large explosion of water erupted from that spot and then the earth itself rose up, large spirals coming from the sea, dotting the blue ocean with massive spirals of rock and dirt.

Zinnia stared at the scene, her eyes not believing what just transpired. The beach area next to Lilycove has transformed into a mess of water and stones, with more spirals of earth surging at each passing moments and violent roars coming all the way from that far location. 'I have never seen anything like that... Who or what is creating all that chaos?' She felt a light tug on her chest, an ill-feeling coming to life as she realized an undeniable truth. Whatever is happening on that place, Brendan is there and he is in the middle of it.

Following the already unsettling things happening down on the sea, the sun itself began to shine as bright as ever. The light almost blinding anyone looking to the sky and the heat raising like never before. Salamence growled loudly, shaking his head from left to right, averting his gaze away from the monstrous ball of fire on the sky. Zinnia lowered her body, resting her chest against Salamence's large back, she then tapped her dragon on his neck, slowly caressing his scale with the tip of her fingers.

"Calm down, I'm here with you." Her soft whisper having a great effect on the blue dragon, who stopped its agitated behavior after hearing her soothing voice. "We have to go down there; I need to be there." She shook his long neck, making the Pokémon look at her. "Salamence, it's okay to be scared, but I need you."

With a low groaning sound, Salamence looked down to the insanity happening at the Lilycove and then raised his head onto the sun's direction. Any Pokémon can be scared of strange or dangerous situations, even a large and imposing Pokémon like Salamence, but the bond between him and his trainer is stronger than his fear. With a loud and courageous roar, Salamence flapped his wings, tilting the tip of his head down and diving at full speed into the direction of these menacing sounds.

'Brendan, we're coming for you.' Zinnia held closely to her Pokémon partner, doing her best to no get pushed out by the lashing winds that are making her hair and clothes swing wildly with its force. 'Please, stay safe.'

* * *

For the days he has spent together with them, putting it lightly, a unique companion he is stuck with. Silver always dreaded every moment of it. It's not because he hates Ethan or because Ethan drains his patience like no one. No, the reason he is hatting so much their time together is for the amount of attention he gets from others just for being next to this guy. Always flirting, smiling or being way too friendly with strangers, things the red-haired himself has never done once in his life. And yet, despite always wishing for silence and serenity in his days. Silver finds himself right at this moment overly annoyed with Ethan's recent mood.

"Is something wrong with your food?" The red-haired asked with a grumpy tone. He then took another bite of his own meal, impressing the people around them on the restaurant with his educated table manners.

"No. It's quite good." Ethan responded dryly, using his fork to play with his food but showing little interest in eating itself.

Again, Silver felt his blood pressure going bad because of this man. A cheerful and easygoing Ethan is hard to handle, but a moody and disheartened Ethan is even worse. From the past days, he had to get used to all the noise and excitement around himself. Now things are just cold and depressing, even during lunch a time where Ethan is always the loudest.

With a long sigh, Silver put the silverware down and rubbed the left temple of his head. "Care to explain your recent behavior?" He looked at his companion's eyes, something that made Ethan look away from him. "Ethan?"

"I… don't feel so good." He said back frowning, but still gazing away from the red-haired young man.

"Why didn't you say so before?" Silver slid his dishes away, waving for a waitress to come over. "We can go find a hotel to stay until you're feeling better."

"I don't feel ill, is something else." Ethan said quietly, running a ran over his chest.

A happy looking waitress stopped next to their table. "Would you like anything else?" She asked looking to Ethan but rapidly glanced over to Silver, after being ignored by the raven-haired man.

"Just the bill, if you please." Silver gave a simple nod to her, but also barely paid any attention to the woman; who sadly walked away towards the register. "Again, can you be a bit more specific? I can't guess what is going inside your head." He hissed with a slight frown.

Ethan finally locked his eyes into Silver's, the seriousness in his face making the red-haired get even more uneasy and slightly flustered. "It's just… I have this really bad feeling that is making my chest hurt." With a firm tug of his chest, Ethan looked at his rival with a certain exasperation showing in his eyes. "Is the same feeling I had when Lugia escaped from his prison."

"That insane story of yours that Ho-Oh talked with you and asked you to stop Lugia?" Silver said with a sarcastic smirk, he was more than ready to point at Ethan and laugh his socks off. However, that serious look coming from Ethan, that intense gaze of his is too much to bear, it easily won over the red-haired once more, this time he is the one to avoid his eyes to the side with a thin red line on his face.

"Ho-Oh gave me a lot more than just a mission. You believe it or not, doesn't matter to me." Ethan scoffed angrily. "My gift… that's it!" He said out loudly, bending his torso over the table and grabbing Silver's left arm. "I'm not the only one, I always knew that but… I never thought about it in that way."

One more thing on the list of, What Ethan does that irritates Silver; the casual touching. That is what Silver would like to say, but he can't, not now at least. The red-haired shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, practically turning his entire body to the side, but strangely enough making an effort to not move his left arm from its position, making his own position on his chair a very strange and painful one "Wha-What are you going about?" He puffed and pulled the collar of his shirt, a drop of sweat running down on his neck. "Is it me or this place just got a lot hotter all of a sudden?"

"Are you hot?" Ethan asked with a large smirk on his lips. "I think I know the reason for that."

"R-reason? There is no reason, this place just got warmer. I see nothing more than that…" He pulled the collar of his shirt again, sounding suspiciously nervous and defensive.

"If I had to take a guess… Then I will say; that is at fault." Ethan pointed to the large window at the side of their table. He gritted his teeth and jumped out of his seat, dashing as fast as possible to the exit.

Silver, who was still feeling a bit dazed, slowly looked to the window. "What the…?" The clouds dyed with a dark orange color; the sun itself is burning too brightly as if a fireball is spinning out of control on the sky. Startled by the scene, Silver jumped out of his seat and before going after his partner, he dropped a very big amount of money on the table. "You can keep the change." He yelled as he bashed the doors open and walked outside.

A big crowd is already forming outside on the city's streets, some people are gossiping while others are outright screaming in panic with the situation. The red-haired young Pokémon trainer stepped outside the family restaurant and throwing himself at this mess of people, having a very hard time to spot a certain someone.

"Silver, over here!" Ethan shouted from the top of Lugia's back. The legendary bird standing tall and mighty amongst the crowd.

Silver gave a soft slap on his forehead for not seeing that huge Pokémon right away, he hastily pushed his way around the bystanders and stopped next to Lugia. "I never saw the sun doing something like that. Do you have any idea?"

"Yeah, get up here." Ethan carefully slid down to Lugia's left leg, reaching out to Silver with one hand.

Another new and unthinkable situation for the red-haired, he has never ridden with a Legendary Pokémon before and he was quite all right with that. In addition, the possible first one being Lugia is a big aggravating detail for him as well.

"Silver! Get up." Ethan shouted, nodding down to his extended hand.

"Gah… fine." Still hating the idea, Silver grabbed his hand and jumped on top of Lugia together with Ethan. "We are we going?" He carefully sat down, holding into one of Lugia's large blue feathers.

Ethan, on the other hand, climbed back to Lugia's upper back placing one of his hands on the Pokémon's neck. As he adjusted himself on his position, he glanced backward, looking directly at Silver. "I think is time for us to meet Hoenn's guardian."

* * *

"Graaah! Why are we wasting our time hiding?" Raz shouted in anger, his mood has been somewhat worse than what already is since Giovanni gave the order for everyone to stay put and inside their base.

Ever since their last operation, most of the top heads of Team Rainbow Rocket have gathered inside their usual meeting room, Giovanni himself asked for all of them to stay there and wait for his orders, and most of them complied to his command. One of the seats, however, remains empty with Rush being nowhere in sight, for the past day he has been strangely absent and reclusive.

"Honey, please stay quiet for a moment." Leyla said with a disinterested sigh. "Your dumbness is showing."

"What did you say to me?!" The large man growled, bashing his hands on the desk in front of him.

"Hahaha, he really is dumb." Scarlet said giggling happily. "We are here for a reason, your thick skull. I doubt the boss would hold you in here just o piss you off, or us for seeing your ugly mug."

Vein after vein popped on Raz's arms and some on his forehead, a very thin and fragile little line was the only restraint holding himself and his rage back. "I don't get it… after all that buzz and hard work to reveal ourselves on a live transmission. Why should we keep our head low? What reason is there?"

The busty woman casually walked next to the raven-haired man, tapping him on his shoulder. "Josh, would you care to explain to us?" She blew the words at him with a sweet tone but received just a cold glare in return.

"You clearly know the reason, why ask me?" Josh replied back, harshly brushing her hand away.

"It's clear that some of us are still confused." She looked at Raz. "And It would ease my mind hearing it from you."

"Ahh… fine." His sigh was way longer and dreary of what it usually is, his reactions making Leyla very frustrated with him. "Master Giovanni is expecting a guest to start the next phase. Until then, we should stay here and wait."

"Hm… like I thought." Leyla nodded a little satisfied grin showing on her lips. "You think he will come?" She looked at Josh waiting for his response and he only shrugged, turning his attention away from the rest of the group.

"This shitty guest better comes over fast, If I have to stay another hour staring at this wall, I will lose my shit." Raz sat on a large padded chair, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation.

As the silence was setting in once again, the sound of rushed footsteps and agitated voices breakout from the hallway outside. Before any of the enforcers could make a move to see what is happening, a frantic Grunt barged in, panting and gasping, her face showing a look of shock that unsettled even the most hard-hearted of the officers.

"W-w-w-we have a problem!" The tall woman, clad in black, shouted from the top of her lungs.

"Huhuh, you look quite scared. What is the matter?" With a spark of interest in her eyes, the blond beauty walked closer to the grunt, making the poor tall woman blush and get even more nervous for being so close to her.

"A m-monster is heading our way!" The grunt shouted again, her legs and arms shaking like green leaves. "S-Sorry ma'am, I have to tell the boss." She gave a quick salutation and bolted away from the room, almost tripping and falling flat on her face.

"Monster?… Did she lose her shit too? I knew holding everyone inside would be bad." Raz shook her head, lamenting for the poor state of mind of that female Grunt.

The two female enforcers looked at the muscled man, a look of disbelief showing in their eyes. "Geez, you are dumb... is not even funny anymore." Scarlet said with a frown and Leyla just shook her head in silence.

"What was that?!" Raz roar loudly, bashing his hands again on the table.

Josh, who was pouting and sadly staring at the wall for what has been a day, suddenly jumped out of his chair, a large and evil smirk glued on his face. "So, he has guts after all." The young raven-haired trainer walked over the big monitor on the wall and turned it on. The black screen quickly lighting up, showing a clear image of the beach outside.

"Is that… walking?" Scarlet pointed to the screen, more precisely to a massive mountain of red that is slowly approaching the end of the beach closest to their base.

"Yes, it is." Josh said with a genuine smile, creeping everyone out. "Our guest has finally arrived."

"Ha! Hahaha, now we are talking." Raz jumped from his seat. "All of you punks better stay out of this. Now is my time to have some fun." The large man felt more than happy to stomp his way out of this cramped room and to meet this monstrous mountain coming for them.

"Welp, I guess now we don't need to pick someone to go there." Said Leyla, feeling somewhat relieved for this.

"I know that Raz is crazy and all that, but will he be okay against that?" Scarlet looked at the screen again, feeling goosebumps from just looking at that giant thing. "Josh?" She then looked at the other enforcer, who is fixated on the monitor.

"If Rush's little show had so much effect on that boy for him to come after us like that…" With a wicked grin, Josh looked towards Scarlet, the cold look in his eyes making her skin crawl with uneasiness. "Hah, Raz is as good as dead."

* * *

Heavy stomps marked the sand on Lilycove beach, Thunderclaps echoed in the air despite the clear sky, by this point any bystander or curious person has already fled in fear for the red and black giant monster. The only person left on the scene is an enraged young man with long brown hairs, he is walking side by side with the legendary Pókemon, both him and his colossal partner staring fiercely to the hidden cave entrance at the sea right in front of them.

"Yo! I think you walked far enough." A bald and heavily muscular appeared from the cave, he is proudly standing on top of an enormous Tyranitar, who is casually swimming out of the shallow waters. "Sorry to burst your bubble kid, but you won't be passing by me. Not that this huge friend of ours would be able to, he doesn't look like a swimmer to me."

Groudon's yellow eyes are locked on Raz, low growls escaping his mouth from time to time. The legendary red beast looked down to Brendan, his arms swinging back and forward with impatience.

"Go." Was the only command coming out of Brendan but it was enough.

A deep and loud roar stormed out from the red menace, its rough voice affecting everything next to him, the water began to wobble, the cave structure shaking as if was about to collapse, even the earth itself bowed down to the might of Groudon's roar. Then he stepped forward, taking his heavy and massive left foot out of the sand and going to the water. However, he didn't sink; his large body staid on the same height as before. The red-monstrous Pokémon continued walking but his body never sunk down into the water, instead, the rocky floor of the sea raised itself in round platforms to meet Groudon's feet.

"Oi, oi. What kind of ability is that?" Raz felt a lump on his throat, even his fearless person felt a bit of nerve getting into his head. "So, the scary big Pokémon is afraid of water? Then I will see you drowning right in front of me!" Raz grabbed one Poké-Ball and tossed it on the sea. Water splashed everywhere; huge grey tentacles flew from bellow grasping all around Groudon's large body. "Tentacruel, drop his rocky ass down in the water!" Following the bald trainer's exalted words, the aquatic Pokémon bolted itself out of the water and completely wrapping his limps onto his opponent, with large shoves and tackles with his heavy body, the blue-squid began a relentless assault trying to do as his master commanded and drop Groudon on the sea.

Groudon tried to break away from the tentacles' grasps, but every time he pulled one away, two others took its place, making even harder to push the squid away from him.

"Grab his body, not his limps!" Brendan shouted from the beach.

With a soft turn of his head, Groudon gave a simple glance to Brendan acknowledging his words. However, before doing what his trainer said, he dropped his head lower and opened his mouth, with a powerful clench of his jaw he bit three limbs of the blue squid together with a single bite and ripped them away with a swing of his head. Tentacruel shrieked in pain, clenching its tentacles with even more force around the legendary Pokémon until Groudon used his right claw to grab the aquatic Pokémon on his head and pulled it away from him.

Tentacruel squirmed wildly, its blue blood dripping down from the severed limbs, drops of it flying all around with the movements of the tentacles trying to get another grip on Groudon. The red beast roar once more, this time even louder and ferocious. With no mercy in his eyes, the legendary Pokémon flung the squid around, throwing it at incredible speed and force against the inside wall of the cave.

"Tentacruel!" Raz yelled, reaching with his right hand onto the cave's direction. "You red freak… You will pay for-" A heavy pillar of stone ascended from the bottom of the sea, hitting Tyranitar from bellow, tossing both him and his trainer onto the air and down to the water again.

As the bald man swan back to the surface, he found himself directly in front of Groudon, with three large round platforms surround the Pokémon. From behind the red beast, Brendan came forward, he kneeled next to the water and grabbing Raz by his wet clothes.

With a disgusted scowl in his face, Brendan pulled the man closer to him, a surprising feat considering how large Raz is and the fact that he is lifting the man with just one arm. "You brought so much chaos and destruction, the pain you caused the people of Hoenn, people that I know." The young champion snarled, his fingers wrinkling the shirt around them; his left eyes burning even more brightly with a strange red glow. "YOU will pay for that."

"Hah, I ain't scared of you, kid. People like you, the sissy good-doers type, are all talk and no action." With a defying smirk, Raz used his knees to pull himself onto the platform, never tearing his eyes away from Brendan. "Go on, make me pay. Let me see if you have the guts for it." The foul-mouthed man, tilted his head to the side, being very careful so his opponent would not notice his intentions.

"You're looking at the wrong direction." Brendan flicked two fingers right between Raz's eyebrows. "Your friend is right there." He forcefully held the man's head and turned his face to the right.

Raz's smug acting deflated away, his entire face cooling down to a shocked stated. "You sick fuck…" His lips quivered in pain, a tiny glittering spot appearing at the corner of his eyes with the glimpse of the awful sight of his long-dated partner. Raz's immense Tyranitar was squished between to large pillars of rock, with only his head and one arm sticking out of that mess. The Pokémon is completely still, not showing any sights of consciousness or breathing; at this distance is impossible to say if he is alive or not.

"That doesn't look very _all talk_ to me. You ain't scared yet?" Brendan yanked his head back, forcing him to stare into his eyes. "I don't give a shit, your words or your reactions, they don't matter to me." Brendan's eyes are bland and unfocused, while he is looking at Raz at the same time he is like he isn't seeing anything at all. His face kept changing from a depressed frown, to a enrage scowl and then to hysterical grin, never settling in one expression. "I… the only thing I… Hah, haha. You should never have come to Hoenn and that will be your last mistake."

"Then, that would be my mistake and not his." A deep voice sounded from the cave entrance. A tall and elegant man, dressed in a black and grey suit is standing at the edge of the metallic floor of the base while looking at the other two.

"B-Boss!" Raz gasped, looking away in shame of his swift defeat.

"Boss?!" Brendan shot a glare at the distant man.

"My name is Giovanni. I am the leader and mastermind behind Team Rainbow Rocket." Giovanni did a short polite bow with his head, holding his right arm close to his body. From this distance is difficult to point what, but Brendan can see that he is holding a small white object in his hands.

"Then you! You are responsible for-"

"That is right; I am responsible for everything and the one who orchestrated those past events." Raising his voice is a rare thing for this man, but when he does, he silences anyone in front of him even an enraged man like Brendan is right now. "So, if you don't mind. Let go of my subordinate and I will give you all the attention you want from me."

"Attention?! You think I'm doing this for your attention?" Brendan spat angrily. His anger skyrocketing out of proportion, but also making him lose any interest in Raz. With no care in his action, the young trainer tossed the bald man to his left side, out of the stone platform. Groudon and Brendan both began to walk forward again, moving at a steady pace towards the Cave and Giovanni; another path of stone pillars raising in front of them.

"That's it? You will snarl, growl and attack." Giovanni scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Go on ahead, Brendan. Destroy everyone in your path, but you will find no answers on that."

'How does he know my name?' Brendan stopped, his legendary Pokémon doing the same. The pair stopped no more than a few meters away from Giovanni, close enough to see the man's features clearly and burn this image inside his head. "Why? You talk about answers, then WHY?! Why did you attack Rustboro? Why bring so much chaos to Hoenn?"

A short laugh came from the imposing man, his eyes showing no fear or sway over Brendan's agitated words or the monster standing at his side. "Why you ask? I imagine you're wondering a line of thought like: _Is because I'm special, I'm weak or I'm strong?._ Boy, don't think so highly of yourself or your region for that matter." Giovanni began to walk on the edge of the platform, going from left to right. "Just consider yourself and the people around you, lucky and blessed. Hoenn received a gift from beyond the sky, yet… You wasted something so grand with your recklessness."

"A gift from beyond the sky?" Brendan's anger was subdued for a moment, a genuine confusion appearing on his expression. "What are you going on about? The only thing we received from the sky was the-"

"Exactly. Heh, like the records states, you were there… And you killed it." Giovanni stopped right in the middle of his ongoing path, his eyes staring at Brendan, measuring his reaction.

"Deoxys?! You came to Hoenn because of that?" Brendan's shock faded away, his scowl returning to his face. "I can't believe you killed and hurt so many for something that doesn't even exist anymore."

"A mutable and ever-changing DNA virus, learning and adapting at an extreme speed. It learned how to be a Pokémon from a simple glimpse of the thing you rode into space." Giovanni smirked triumphantly, resting one hand on his hips. "Say, Brendan. How did we _create_ a second you?"

"No… that is- I saw it die." Brendan swung his left hand in the air, angrily denying his own thoughts. "Deoxys became nothing right in front of my eyes. How did you find it?"

A raging earthquake came to life, surging out of nowhere, taking down more than half of Groudon stone pillars, leaving him and his trainer stranded into a circular island of his platforms. While the conversation was happening between those two, Raz quietly made his way back to the cave, barely making in time before the sea became an unstable mess of waves.

"I can still take him, Boss." Gasping and sweating, the bald and muscular enforcer poised himself in front of his master, taking one of his hands into his pockets.

"That won't be necessary." Giovanni tapped his underling on his shoulder, giving him a stern look. "Go inside and help the others evacuate to our special vehicle."

"But, Boss!"

"Enough! Just go." This time Giovanni glared at him, showing no leniency on his words.

Still conflicted about his orders, Raz only looked down at his own feet, clenching his hands in disappointment and annoyance. However, he quickly obeyed his master, dashing inside the trembling cave.

"I guess this is enough answer for one day." Said the headmaster with a cocky grin. "Until we meet another time." He bowed a second time, this one carrying a more mocking tone to it.

"Like hell, you will escape." Brendan growled. "I WILL NEVER LET YOU ESCAPE!" He shouted so loud that his voice echoed all the way inside the cave, going as far as the first floor of the base. Groudon reacted to his voice, dropping his head low and marching at full speed towards the suited man.

"Boy, you didn't even notice that I pressed this button minutes ago." Giovanni dangled the little white device on his hand, then tossing the thing on the sea. "I've already won." With a simple wave of his hand, the Leader of Rainbow Rocket turned his back to Brendan and walked inside the cave, vanishing into the darkness.

A tiny dark spot appeared on the water, a small shadow approaching from the bottom of the sea. This silhouette became larger and larger, tide waves rising as far ceiling of this grotto, rocks falling down, the walls getting loser with cracks appearing throughout its surface. A muffled, strange and deep cry erupted from the sea, bursting a large bubble of sound from bellow, a curtain of water rose higher and larger than Groudon, from behind this watery mask, a second cry came, this time a terrifying roar, as loud as a thunder.

"What the- Aaarrgh!" A tidal force pushed forward, washing everything away. Groudon lost his footing and fell on the water. Brendan got hit directly by the wave, getting himself carried with brute force all the way back to the soaked sands of the beach.

Kyogre, the Blue Legendary Pokémon from the deep, raised itself from the waters once again, bashing at full force at the downed Groudon. The impact of this violent hit created another massive wave that came washing everything in its path, hitting Brendan once again and dragging him back to the sea.

'Where… Am I?' The crushing weight of the salty water pressed down onto Brendan, pulling him down onto the sea floor. 'I'm drowning? Why can't I move?' He tried his best to swim, to move even one arm or leg. But his body refused to obey him.

' **Rage, anger, POWER!'** A malicious voice sounded inside his head, a foreign sensation and yet a familiar one at the same time.

'Who are you?' Brendan opened his eyes, the salt water hurting, and prickling but he refused to close them again. A red blurred figure flashing at the corner of his vision, forcing him to move his head. Groudon is lying at his side, glaring at him with his yellow eyes.

' **I remember the feeling… So do you.'** The voice invaded his thoughts once again. **'Hate them, kill them. Tear your fears away.'**

'Groudon? I can understand you… How?' Brendan can swim, he can barely move his head to look at the red titan, yet his right arm freely moved down, acting on its own. His fingers browsed down on his pocket, wrapping themselves around an orb, a warm, burning hot orb. With a gentle move of his limb, Brendan posed the red orb right in front of his face, his eyes glued to the bright red Symbol on the center.

' **Hate them!'**

'I hate… this.'

' **Destroy them!'**

'They will pay.'

' **I WILL RIP THEM APART!'** – 'I WILL TEAR THEM APART!'

From the red orb, a blinding light erupted engulfing everything thing in its warm. The sea itself exploded, water, vapor, fire; everything flew to all sides. The land began to retort and change, massive pillars of stone erupted from bellow dotting the entire place with large and tall towers made of nothing but wet earth.

From the cave entrance to the edge of the beach, there was no water anymore. All of if evaporated to the sky, creating a violent smokescreen of steam. A blackened thundering clap sounded everywhere, from the clean white smoke; a massive, berserk and ever burning Primal Groudon flew out onto Kyogre. Using his black teeth, Groudon bit Kyogre on his left large fin, shoving his large claws the molten monster raised his hated rival in the air and swung it in the air tossing Kyogre violently into one of the giant towers of stone.

Moving like an insane creature, way too fast to his size. Groudon jumped on top of Kyogre another time, grasping the other legendary before it could enter the deep sea again. One fast swipe crossed Kyogre's back, and then another one came from below hitting it on its face. Losing himself on his own rage, Groudon opened his mouth and raised his arms, not noticing that he let his opponent get away by doing this. Fire and lava ran down from his mouth, a monstrous roar stormed from between his teeth announcing the impending disaster that was about to happen. A wave of fire or more like a beam of lava flew from the dark mouth of Groudon, the unleashed a tiny size of a cataclysm right in front of him, disfiguring the scenery even further.

As the smoke vanished away, revealing the aftermath of this terrible attack, Kyogre was nowhere in sight. Only darkened stone and earth stand where the aquatic legendary once was. This only served to enrage Groudon even further; the irate creature turned its anger to the closest thing, smashing his claws into one tower and then going to another, making another path of destruction, but this time not aimlessly. He slashed and destroyed in his path towards the already ruined cave.

The sea fought back the scorching heat, wave after wave of water crashing against Groudon, returning the area around him to the closest thing possible to what used to be before.

'What I'm doing…' From the first outburst of power after Groudon sudden transformation, Brendan raised right into the air standing on top of an emerging pillar. His arms are shaking, his legs can barely hold his weight and his left eye is hurt, burning like a living fire, the faint glow from before has now become a bright red beacon 'This is… me?" He looked down at his own hands; terrified, ecstatic, and angered. His own mind losing its self to senseless anger he cannot even understand.

"BREEENDAAAN!" A surly yell came from the edge of the beach. A young man with tea-green hair is standing there, looking at Brendan with a disgusted face.

"Wally…" Brendan's confusion melted away, but the anger stayed.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	15. Rivals

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

'I've always watched your back… from our first encounter, your confidence overwhelmed me, inspired me. I envied you. I resented you. I… I admired you, Brendan.' A single tear slid down, leaving a slightly darker line on his cheeks. A terrifying curtain of grey vapor engulfed Lilycove's shore; a sultry and suffocating scent crept over Wally senses, forcing him to cover his nose with a sleeve, however despite how unbearable and sickening this mist is… Something else is responsible for making his stomach twirl, his throat tightens with an ill sensation. 'You can't be that man from my memories. You cannot be the light that always inspired me… Who are you?'

Wally stared at the giant pillar a few meters away from him, standing tall in the sea. He tried to swallow a lump that is stuck on the back of his mouth, the tried so hard to make it go away, but it would not go down. "BREEENDAAAN!" He shouted loudly. Pained, confused and angered. He shouted as loud as he could, it was the only way to unstuck the words from his throat.

Those words resonated in the air, reaching Brendan like a bullet. He did a complete spin of his body, his grey right eye and his now red left eye stared frantically at the green-haired man. "Wally…" He whispered softly through his gritted teeth.

With reckless abandon, Brendan rushed to the edge of the pillar. Gritting the heel of his shoes against the hard rock, he slid down the tall structure and as he got fairly close to the sea level, he launched himself forward, landing on the shallow waters of the beach.

The tall and dark silhouette of Brendan's form appeared from behind the hazy fog. In a way, Wally felt like he was staring at a form of a monster; a distorted and disfigured shadow that he can barely recognize. "Have you lost your mind?" Wally said out to the wind. "Can you even explain all of this?"

"I don't have to explain myself, not to you… Especially to you." Brendan's voice echoed from the white curtain.

"You don't… After all that crap on the TV and your crazy behavior." Wally scoffed nonchalantly. He did so to appear composed and strong, but in reality, his friend's words startled him deeply. "I really don't want to do this, you know. But if you don't budge… you will leave me no choice."

A crazed laughed stormed from the other side, Brendan's shadow crocked down as if he was holding his stomach, bending down as he laughed even louder. "Oh please, tell me. What will you do if I don't _budge_?"

The mocking tone coming from the other trainer got to him, Wally frowned, he gritted his teeth and stepped inside the fog, walking forward and forward, until he crossed to the other side getting face to face with Brendan. "I will have to beat you down and drag your sorry ass back home." He said dead serious face; He raised one Poké-ball in front of him and dared Brendan to do the same.

"You're welcome to try." Brendan pulled out a Poké-Ball of his own; he shot a piercing glare to his long-dated rival, the glow from his left eye startling the green-haired young man even more. "But you know how this ends." With a flashy light, a gush of violent winds came to life. Layla's strong wing-beats created this relentless stream came like a storm, blowing the fog away and clearing the entire beach from the steamy cloud coming from Groudon's area.

"Tch, I will wipe that smirk out of your face." With a powerful swing of his arm, Wally tossed his Poké-ball forward. A gallant Talonflame coming out of the ball, steadily beating its wings in the air.

Silence filled the atmosphere around them, for a few moments both experienced trainers only stared at each other, waiting for a simple movement from one another to react. Brendan's lips curved, twisted in an evil grin. Wally, in contrast, is frowning, his hands trembling with hesitation and somewhat excitement; despite the circumstances, he had long made his mind about battling his rival once again.

"Talonflame, use **Brave Bird**." - "Layla, use **Brave Bird**." They shouted in unison.

Blue, grey, and red feathers scattered up high, the flying Pokémon clashing head to head with the same attack, making an unsettling sound as they hit each other. Talonflame was faster and covered a lot more space in their engage, but Layla is stronger, despite the difference in their size. When the powerful Swellow bashed her head against the fire bird, the impact of their trade of blow ended-up pushing the Talonflame backward, him flailing his wings dizzily.

"Talonflame, ascent at max speed." Wally gave the command. 'If we can't take that Swellow head on, then I just need to…'

With a loud cry of his melodious voice, Talonflame flapped both wings faster and more decisively, turning his body and attention to the sky above him. Layla gave a quick glance to her trainer, receiving back a simple and short nod from him, she then flew in pursuit after her opponent. As before, Talonflame is faster, flying at almost double the speed of the other flying Pokémon, he quickly reached the first clouds, hiding behind them and the scorching sun's light.

Wally carefully watched as Layla approached the same cloud Talonflame went through, his lips curving in a triumphant grin. "Bring that Swellow down." He whispered just to himself, knowing that even if he shouted his voice would not reach his Pokémon. But even in whispers, his words caught Brendan's attention, who after hearing them looked upwards with a troubled expression.

Before Layla could enter the white ocean of clouds, Talonflame dove down, surprising the blue bird with a sneak attack. Cloaked in bright red flames, the red bird clashed against the Swellow's bare back, critically landing his **Flare Blitz**. Burned feathers and body, the small Swellow closed her eyes in pain. Without beating her wings against the air, she began to free-fall, rapidly coming down towards the sandy ground.

"It seems that my Talonflame is better trained than your Swellow." Wally said. The young trainer is delighting himself on the taste of victory. "To blindly follow your opponent and let your guard open… This battle was already over before she knew what hit her."

The little taunt had little to no effect on Brendan. He practically ignored Wally presence and continued looking upwards, watching as Talonflame flew down toward Layla, either to finish her off or to stop her body from hitting the ground. "You're wrong in two points." He replied back, finally taking his eyes down to Wally. "This is far from over... And Layla is far smarter than you know." He casually moved his right arm, and with his index finger, pointed up into the sky.

Layla continued to fall down, just waiting until Talonflame was close enough to not be able to escape. Then with a complete twirl, the Swellow flapped her wings with fierceness, charging at full speed onto the red bird. Talonflame tried to stop and do a complete turnover, but this proved to be the worse course of action as he casually turned his back to his opponent, letting the blue bird dig her sharp talons onto his feathered back. With a powerful, even mean, peck; Layla grabbed Talonflame's neck and forced his entire body down, immobilizing any movement he could do. Using the weight of their bodies as an accelerator, the Swellow dive-bombed against the sand, crashing the red flamer on the beach without any compassion. Then, as nothing had happened, she flew away from her opponent, gliding casually next to Brendan.

"You can't win. There is a basic difference in level between us." Brendan clenched his chest, he felt the unbearable fire inside of him dance in joy with his words; a sick or perverted sensation in his heart, craving for more… more of Wally's hurt expressions.

Talonflame slowly got back on his feet, shaking his head from side to side, shooing the dizziness away from him. "Like you said…" Wally gave a little sigh of relief as his Pokémon flew next to him, more than ready to continue. "This is far from over!" He stepped forward and pointed at Layla. "Talonflame, you are faster than her. Let's prove that you are also stronger!"

With a loud and confident cry, Talonflame raised himself higher in the air and charged against the Swellow again.

"Evade his fire plumes and attack his vulnerable spot again." Brendan ordered and Leyla cried in reply. The blue little Swellow instead of meeting her opponent head to head again, flew away from his grasp, graciously evading any and all attempts to strike her down.

"Flying away? That is your strategy?" A light scoff escaped the green-haired trainer. "I can see that difference in level, alright." Wally was ready to throw another mocking comment at his rival's way, but he stopped before he could. Something is not right, with Brendan or with him. He can feel it clearly as he can see the blinding light of the ranging sun on top of them; Something is leading them by the nose, making him behave like a frustrated child again. "Brendan, I don't think-"

Brendan let out a snort, interrupting his rival in his sentence. "Heh, this was not what I meant with a difference in level. Although, with the first glance I already knew that Layla is stronger than your Talonflame." And Wally who was ready to stop this stupid fight, swallowed back his words and is now glaring angrily at his _friend_. "What I meant really, is the difference between us, as trainers. Let me prove that to you." He pulled another Poké-Ball out of his pockets and hurled it with a full swing of his arm, directly at Wally.

In a quick response, Wally tossed the first Poké-Ball he could find; both round objects meeting each other in midair, first simple sparks came out of them which rapidly turned into bright flashes of light. Brendan's powerful and prideful Sceptile landed on the sands with his leaf blades raised and ready to battle. A big Garchomp, bigger than the normal ones, landed right in front of the green leafy lizard, staring him down menacingly.

"In our days as raising trainers, we used to fight in multi-battles, take as many opponents as possible in a single match." With a chillingly calm voice, which doesn't match the expression in his face. Brendan slowly strolled to the side, reminiscing about the past. "But there was a catch to that, remember? We only tackled multiple weaker enemies, because would be too hard to direct and guide your team in multiple battles against a skilled trainer." He pulled another Poké-Ball, a devious smirk showing on his face. "Wally, you really think that you can stand as equal to me? Then prove it!" With his third Poké-Ball flying in the air, Brendan called another member of his team. Violen, his stern-looking Gallade landed right in front of him.

"Fine… I will prove to you." Wally matched Brendan's Violen with his own Gallade. Deep inside of him he still knows that something is wrong, that he should stop this before it gets out of hand, but that voice of reason is now only but a faint whisper in the back of his head. "Garchomp, jump onto his weaker side and use **Dragon Claw**."

The blue ground dragon swept in, cutting the winds with his large fins.

"Ekissu trade stances and push him back with your **Leaf Blade**."

In simple but very efficient pacing of his legs, Ekkisu pulled his right foot back and stepped forward with the left one. This one simple action made the structure of his pose stands perfectly in place to swing his left arm at full force. And so he did, his large green arm-blades glided in one swoop, clashing against Garchomp attack and bashing the dragon backward.

"Take his footing away from him, with an **Earthquake**." Wally commanded.

Garchomp looked for support on his strong legs and sprang himself into the air. Falling down with a mighty stomp, the blue dragon created a shockwave, small yet compressed enough to shake the earth beneath him. A thick line formed on the sands, as the land was giving out, digging down; this strange line darted ahead, aiming precisely on the Sceptile's direction.

"To your right and then up." Brendan shouted hastily. Ekkisu followed his words by heart, barely evading the line, and then jumped over the mess of rock and sands that exploded where he was standing. " **Leaf Storm** and follow with **Giga Impact**." In a flash of green, a torrent of sharp leaves flew from the lizard's long tail, going at high speed at Garchomp. As the ground-shark Pokémon occupied himself with the task of blocking and evading the storm of green blades, he opened himself to a powerful strike coming from the Sceptile's right foot that landed square on his chest.

"Just don't fall!" Wally shouted, he bit his lips in anticipation and then gave a little sigh of relief, when his Pokémon withstand the heavy blow, despite the screaming pain pulsating from his chest. "Now is our chance, after a **Giga Impact,** he won't be able to dodge like before. Mow him down with a **Crun-** "

" **AERIAL ACE**!" Brendan's voice echoed high and loud. Soon a swooshing sound came from above them. A red and grey bird came crashing down on the sands, with a swift Swellow sweeping very close to him.

"Tch, Talonflame get behind the wind flow with **Tailwind**." Talonflame jumped from the sand and created a small whirlwind, blowing sand away, and flying high in the air again.

"From left to right, break him with **X-scissor**." Ekkisu who was still standing next to Garchomp, slashed from the left and then from the right, making a deadly cross with his leafy arm-blades. The dragon growled in pain, falling down to one knee.

Wally cursed at himself for forgetting about his injured blue dragon. "Garchomp just disengage, create some distance with **Stone Edge**." With a pained cry, Garchomp raised himself to his feet and did a small jump backward, a large and sharp stone raised from the ground, getting between him and the Sceptile.

"Violen, two steps forward and use **Fire Punch**. Then three steps backward and **Stone Edge**."

"Gallade walk forward and grab-" Wally tried to counter, but before he could finish his sentence, a fiery punch had already struck his Gallade in the face. He then could only watch as a small pillar of stone erupted from bellow and throw his Pokémon partner in the air, making him fall on his back, next to the water.

"Cut that stone down and push it forward." Brendan said pointing to Garchomp. Ekkisu promptly slashed the stone in half with his blades and with a quick spin jump, swung his massive tail against the upper-half, hurling the thing against the tired dragon.

"Punch that away!" Wally said with a bit of panic, large drops of sweat already running down from his cheeks. Garchomp made the movement to punch the projectile away, but the strength in his arms was not enough. Instead, his left arm-fin bashed against it, a strange sound coming from his limb as the dragon cried loudly in pain.

"Destroy his current with **Steel Wings** and finish him with another **Aerial Ace**." Brendan's attention once again turned back to the sky where the two birds are fighting.

"Talonflame, break the current and meet her head-on with **Brave Bird**."

"One last **X-Scissor**!"

"Wha-"

"Evade to the side and pursue him at your full speed; focus his back with **Brave Bird**."

"Dammit." Hopelessness, a cold sensation of defeat crept down, taking over Wally's senses. At each time he tries to think of a proactive move, Brendan has already one in motion. When he tries to counter and shift the situation to his favor, Brendan changes the focus to another battle around them and steals the first move there. It feels impossible to compete as if anything he tries will only speed up his own defeat.

"Violen, he is standing up again. End the fight with **Close Combat**."

"Aim for his arms, **PSYCHO CUT**!" A mighty shout escaped from Wally. The green-haired young man closed his eyes and clenched his hands. He shouted more out of reflex and desperation rather than doing it for a concrete purpose.

With a muffled thud, Talonflame fell down on the sand again, but this time the red and grey bird Pokémon staid there, whimpering and totally out of combat. Garchomp resisted the best he could, but the damage from that **Giga Impact** , together with the pain on his left arm was too much for the dragon and he also fell down to the ground, unable to stand up again. On the other end of the beach, a shrieking noise echoed from the sea. Water splashed everyone, a Gallade fell with his back and is now floating unconscious on the surface… However, that Gallade is Violen.

"Call me impressed… You actually managed to take one down." Slowly clapping his hands, more in a mocking way, Brendan shot a cold glare to his rival. He then silently called his Gallade back and then his Swellow, back to their Poké-Balls. "At least, now you know… the difference."

"Shut up…" Wally said lowly, holding his head down and his arms trembling.

"What was that? I can't hear-"

"SHUT UP!" Jerking his head up, the green-haired trainer shot his rival a fierce glare. "I hate you…" He painfully said between his gritted teeth.

"Hah, how grand of you." Brendan chuckled, holding his right hand on his forehead.

"I-I… I don't hate you, dumbass…" Wally's arms fell to the side. He looks hurt by his own words, more so than from Brendan's behavior. "I always… I always wanted to be like you. For all this time, I admired you."

Brendan looked at him shocked, his cocky smirk disappearing and that unpleasant scowl that has been plaguing his features today came back to him. "Be like me?" He asked quietly, sounding almost disgusted by that. "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME!" He stomped forward, shouting so loud that a vein appeared on his neck.

"Yeah! I don't know you. I don't know you anymore…" Wally growled. He looked past Brendan, to the massive Groudon wreaking havoc on that cave far in the sea. "Look at all this… Look to that monster behind you. Hell, Brendan, take your eyes to the sky and see for yourself what you're doing." He sighed weakly, taking his eyes back to the image of his old rival. "I don't recognize my friend anymore."

"Friend? Heh… Hahahaha! Say, Wally, even for a day, did you really considered me a friend?"

"…"

"As you said before. All I represented in your life was a challenge to overcome, some sort of model standard that you wanted to achieve." Anger filled Brendan's voice again, filled his mind, making him step ever so close to the edge of madness. "If you want to be like me so much. Then try for one day, one fucking day, to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"You really are the worst… I've never met someone so full of themselves." The mood around them got worse. Wally silently strolled closer to Brendan, holding his fists tightly closed. The green haired trainer is feeling himself being carried away by anger and resentment. His reasoning slowly slipping away, his vision turning red as he glared at his rival.

Ekkisu tried to step in and get in front of Wally's way, but Gallade walked over and tackled the Sceptile away. Both Pokémon stared at each other, throwing sharp glares and ready to pounce into one another's throat.

"Maybe I am." Brendan once again chuckled, this time carrying even more spite in his mocking action. "But at least, I am true to my own path. Instead of being a pathetic excuse of a man like you. A mere nobody, chasing after my shadow."

"You… Ugh…" Wally stopped thinking; he only let his body speak for himself. His left arm disappeared from his side, flying like the wind; his fist came from bellow and smacked Brendan on the left side of his chin. "I really hate you right now."

Contrary to what was expected, there was no immediate response. Brendan held his chin with one hand, silently staring at Wally. No rage, no anger and not a single trace of madness in his eyes; in truth, he looked sad and disappointed, probably with himself. "I didn't mean to… Wally, I am so sor-" A soft sound came from the sand next to Brendan's left leg, it was a measly little sound which only him heard, but in his head, it echoed like the thundering sound of a storm.

 **THUMP-** A powerful sound echoed from the background; the sea began to shake again. A large burning red figure popped up on the corner of Wally's vision.

Brendan slowly shifted his gaze down and his eyes met the sigh of the red orb, shining like a beacon, calling for him. The next sound that broke the silence between them was the sound of Brendan's right fist exploding on Wally's left cheek. In a swift reply, the green-haired young man spun around, swinging the back of his hand onto his rival's face.

A pained growl and annoyed hiss were all that came from Brendan. He grabbed his rival by his left arm and pulled him closer, meeting Wally's lean abdomen with his right knee. Wally gasped, spit, with a faint tint of red, flying out of his mouth; He tried to pull himself away from Brendan, but the grasp on his arm is tight, impossibly tight, holding him still on place. With little other option left, Wally swung his head back and forward, his green-hair whipping on the air wildly as his forehead clashed against Brendan's right eye.

 **THUMP-** With each passing moment, the dreading stomping sounds become louder and louder. A creeping shadow enlarging itself at the beach, the tip of its higher-end, now almost reaching the trainers.

"Brendan, enough of this!" Wally yanked his arm away. He took a few steps back, breathing hard and fast; his eyes locked on the burning titan that has reached the shallow waters next to the dry sands. "You have to stop that-" Like a wild Pokémon, Brendan leaped from his spot, throwing his own body against Wally.

Like two raging boulders, Brendan's fists exploded on Wally's face; one punch after another, jerking the green-haired man's face to one side then to the other. He looked down to his rival form with just one bright red eye, his right one completely useless at the moment as it is being shut by a swelling bump. He then held both hands together and smashed them against his rival's chest. Wally growled loudly, his eyes widening as the air escaped his lungs.

'Stop…' A little whisper, one simple wish that got crushed inside a giant turmoil of inner screams and loud thoughts.

 **THUMP-** Sand, and rocks flew high in the air. The entire beach is now covered by the shadow of Groudon and despite the red giant blocking the sunlight, the heat only got worse.

With a strong push of his arms, Wally managed to shove Brendan back enough to free his legs, enabling him to kick the other man away. He slowly crawled away, going as far as a nearby rock, the one created by Violen during his battle. A terrifying chill ran down his back, Wally bewildered turned away from the sandy ground, his body freezing with the sight right in front of him.

 **THUMP-** Groudon is here. The burning living lave of his body is creating a strange form of lightning that is blurring the sight of the man standing right in front of him. Where once stood Brendan, now is only a dark silhouette, dark figure created by the bright of Groudon flames, hiding any features of the man standing there, the only visible and colorful thing about him now is the red shining glow of his left eye.

'Please… Stop!'

"Bren… dan… Argh!" A swift kick hit Wally in his chest, sending him sliding down on the sands.

Brendan dashed in, delivering another powerful kick on his downed rival. "You have no idea how much I hated myself because of you… YOU!" He went in for another hit, but a desperate Gallade jumped on his back, wrapping both of his arms on the trainer's neck. As the weight of the fighter Pokémon settled on him, Brendan did a fast spin of his body forcing Gallade out of him but grabbed the Pokémon by his neck before he could fall down completely.

Seeing the insanity of everything, now even Ekkisu jumped on the back of his trainer, with his weight he forced all three of them to fall face down on the sands. Groudon roared loud in rage, he bent down and grabbed both the Sceptile and the Gallade, tossing them to the other side of the beach.

Brendan stood back on his feet, biting his lips so hard that he drew blood out of them. He eyed the green-haired man and took a hard step towards him.

"What are you doing?! That guy is your friend!" Zinnia appeared out of nowhere. She latched herself onto Brendan, binding him in a frantic, desperate hug.

"Aarrgh, for fuck sake. Get away from me!" He brutally shoved her away from him and proceeded to push her even further with a hard hit of his fist on her chest. What happened next, changed everything.

With small tears sliding down from her eyes, the draconid woman stepped away from her lover. The expression of fear and shock vivid on her features, the way she looked at Brendan as if he is some monster… broke him.

Red vanished from his iris, the omega pattern fading back into nothing as the grey returned to his eye. "Zinnia… I- I didn't mean to." Brendan took a single step in her direction, his hand reaching out for her, which made her cringe and take a step back herself. Salamence fell down from the sky, landing between his trainer and her lover. The blue dragon did a long sweep with his tail, bashing it against Brendan's chest, tossing the brown-haired man into the air.

"What… are you doing?" Wally hissed in pain, grabbing his left side with one hand, as Zinnia kneeled next to him and pulled him up.

"Just shut up, before I leave you here." She ignored his little protest and his pained grunts. With a forceful pull of his arm, Zinnia helped Wally to find support on her shoulders and began to drag him toward Salamence.

"W-Wait." He tugged her arm and pulled her back. "My Gallade… I have to get him."

"I got it; we will get him. Just stop squirming." She pulled him with force again, this time pushing his body on top of her blue dragon. She jumped next to Wally, getting ready to fly away, but stopped to look at Brendan who is kneeled down on the sand, looking at her with an empty or emotionless eye. "I'm sorry Brendan… I can't see you like this. It's too much for me." She tapped Salamence on the base of his neck, signaling for the dragon to take off.

A terrible whooshing sound glide above Brendan's head, a dark and lengthy arm extended itself pass him, burning veins of lava pulsating on the raging limb. Without a noise to make his intentions clear, Groudon advanced forward in a wild bloodlust, reaching ever so close with every intention of squashing those two like bugs.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" The words that were stuck deep inside his chest finally exploded from Brendan's mouth. His voice startling Zinnia, Wally, and even Salamence. All of them turning their heads to him, just to see the nightmarish sight of Primal Groudon inches away from them.

The glimmering sunlight shone at the length of the pure white and sharp massive swords that are Groudon's claws. In his rampage, the Legendary beast was more than ready to kill everyone who stands in his way, but with Brendan's desperate shouted, the red flaming mountain stopped his claw before it could reach his targets.

"Just stop this already…" With the orb in his hands, a darkened and dead orb, Brendan bent forward, pressing his face against the sand surface, soft moans escaping his lips as he tried his best to suffocate the vile thoughts coming to him from that cursed thing in his hands. "Leave… Go away." He directed these words to the woman he loves, despite how painful it is to say this, it would be even more painful if she got hurt again and now because of him.

Zinnia clenched her fists and bit her lips. She wanted more than anything to just jump back down and run right into his arms, to comfort Brendan, to protect him. However, the piercing glare from Groudon is ever so unsettling, despite him stopped his attack, the giant Pokémon still is eyeing them with murderous eyes. She tapped Salamence again on his neck, the blue dragon ascended to the sky and did one last dive on the other side of the beach, taking an unconscious Gallade with his forward paws, right before vanishing far right into the sky.

* * *

"After all that hurry, you will just stand here?" Silver asked, curiously waiting for Ethan's response.

As Silver commented about, they arrived in Lilycove a few moments after Groudan had started rampaging in his primal form, yet Ethan has chosen to just stand by on the grassy hill behind the city, and thanks to the tall trees nobody saw them landing with Lugia there.

"Yeah, I will just watch for now." Ethan responded. The black-haired young man rested his back against a tree, still carefully watching what is happening right below them. "If you want to, you can go there."

"What's the point? Weren't you the one so excited to meet that guy over there?" Silver pointed to Brendan, who is silently walking towards the water, his head hanging low.

"Oh, I am excited to meet him. Even more so after watching him battle like that." Ethan's lips curved into a simple but pleased smile. "But this is not the time. He doesn't need a strange dropping out of nowhere and eating his ear off with a lot of talking."

"Then what was the point of coming here? All that paranoid talking and over-exaggerated thinking about the sun falling down…" Silver sighed, turning his back away from his rival. "What a waste of time."

"The sun is back to normal, is it not?" Ethan responded rather annoyed, shooting dirty glares at the red-haired man's back. "Learn to relax a little, will you?"

"I will remind you again; we are not here for leisure." Silver twirled around, pointed down at Ethan. "Learn to take things seriously, will you?"

"Silver, what does your father really want?" Ethan ignored his partner's fuming glare and asked seriously. "I don't get it… First, he announces their existence to everyone like a blazing buffoon, and then he just throws Kyogre away like a disposable thing, just to walk away with style?"

"That is quite easy, my father would not be dumb enough to make their organization public if it would not benefit him in some way." Silver said in a calm manner, holding his right elbow with his left hand, in his chest height. "Pair a new criminal organization coming to light together with a loose mythical beast and you have the perfect chaos. The perfect distraction."

"If he is using Kyogre just as a distraction. Then what the hell is he really after?" Ethan frowned, taking one hand to his chin. "It scares the socks out of me just thinking about it."

Silver walked closer to the edge of the hill, he eyed the movements of curious people walking over to the beach, more and more bystanders showing up now that everything is over. "Sincerely. I've zero ideas what that shitty old man is after, but whatever it is… We need to stop him." He turned around, his scarlet hair dancing over his shoulder. "Ethan, we have to stop him."

"Aye, and we will. I promise you that." Ethan responded looking his rival directly in his eyes. In all of his life, he never sounded more sincere than now, staring at those bright red eyes.

* * *

"Brendan? Hello… is anybody there?" Steven's voice echoed inside the barely-standing cave. The steel-blue haired man borrowed a Wailmer from a local trainer, and used the blue aquatic Pokémon to cross the sea and made his way inside the destroyed place. "Hello?" He called out again, the cracks in the ceiling and on the wall making even more difficult to see the interior from the entrance part with the sun still behind his back.

"I am here… At the end of the cave bit." Brendan responded with a dry, cracked voice.

"Brendan, are you okay? The people outside did say you came here by yourself." Steven stepped out of the Wailmer, jumping into the broken metallic bridge just above the water. As he walked over, he could finally see his friend sitting down on a corner, with his face buried in his knees.

"I came here to search… to see the damage I've done with my own eyes." That last part came with a sarcastic snort from him, a soft sigh coming right after. "I looked all around the first floor, there is no one there. They all escaped or… not. I couldn't enter the lower levels, they are flooded."

"These type of people never give up. I can guarantee you if some of them had a way of escaping this place, then all of them escaped together." Steven walked next to Brendan, and shuffled with the top of his head, messing his wet and dirty hair. "Want my shoulder to cry?"

"Hahah, only you to make me laugh right now…" Brendan looked at him with a curly grin, but his eye is void, empty of any sparkle of emotion.

"What happened to your face? Had a fight with a Zangoose?"

"Someone a bit more feisty than a Zangoose, but something like that…"

"Judging by the look of his cave, all those pillars outside, oh and the scorching sun that was frying the planet; that is important too… You used Groudon and the orb, didn't you?" Steven asked sternly, despite his joking tone, and Brendan responded him with a weak nod of his head. "Where is-"

"They are here." Brendan raised the black Poké-Ball and then the red orb. "Right after… doing so much wrong. I thought of throwing it away, both this damned red ball and the monster it controls." He looked up to Steven, showing a bit of remorse in his face, but a lot of determination as well. "I can't. Groudon is my responsibility, I like it or not."

"Yeah… that he is. At least you told me that all those years ago." The Devon hear, sighed deeply. He feels a pain in his chest for seeing his friend like this, but some problems are for the person themselves to solve and there is no amount of wishing that will change that. "Why don't we go somewhere else? I just got into this place and I am already getting depressed."

"You don't want to know?" Brendan asked weakly, hiding his face again. "What happened? What I did here?" He looked to the Tentacruel crushed beneath the stones and fell ill in his stomach.

"Not now. Not here." Steven tapped him on his arm and extended one hand so Brendan could take support on him. "You can tell me all about it later. First, lets at least wash your face first, you look awful right now."

"Steven… Thank you." Brendan reached for his friend's hand and got back on his feet. After that they quietly strolled over to the Wailmer, not a single word came from any of them as they made their way out of the now truly abandoned base.

"LOOK! It's him!" A teenager girl shouted as she saw Brendan.

"Yes, that is definitely him." Then a sailor man shouted after her.

Brendan lowered his head in shame, expecting and rightfully so, the scrutiny by everyone that is looking at him.

"Our hero! He saved us all." A little boy jumped in joy, shouting louder than everyone else did. "He shooed one monster away and captured the second one. I saw it all, it was amazing."

"I knew it! That talking of the Pokémon League Champion being bad was crazy." An old woman shook her head, a big smile on her face.

One after another, all the residents of Lilycove began to sing their praises, high and loud to the world to hear. They stared at Brendan as if he was made of pure light, more of a savior than a man, a champion they could truly be proud of.

"Look at that. This Rainbow Rocket tried to bring your reputation down, but the people are calling you hero again." Steven chuckled, slapping his friend a few time in his back. "I call this a small victory for the good guys."

This acclamation was ten times worse than aggressive shouts and cursing at his way. Brendan fell ashamed, hollow and terrible. "I don't feel like a hero." He said with a short whimper, his left eye tearing up. 'I am no hero.'

* * *

Inside the massive submarine, the entirety of Team Rainbow Rocket escaped from their base, before Groudon could even begin to tear it down. As always, Giovanni's plan went perfectly as he envisioned it, every little bit of it… almost all of it. Only a single thing was missing or rather, someone is missing.

"Has anyone seen Rush around?" Scarlet asked around the vessel to anyone she could find, it was maddening to her, to not find the person she loves most to make fun and torment. She dreads the thought of losing the pleasure of making Rush's life a living hell.

However, while everyone quietly escaped to the bottom of the sea, a key event that even Giovanni's overlooked was happening somewhere else.

Deep inside the destroyed base, one of the rooms still shone with light. Every room on the labs are sealed and protect against anything flooding or accident from outside and using that as an advantage, a member of the enforcers has chosen to stay behind, to never leave the side of his prized possession while their base fell apart around him.

" **O… Or…"** A faint voice singed inside Rush's head as he ran his fingers around the edge of his mask. **"Orb… Orb…"** It continued to sing the same word, repeatedly. Desperately trying to convey a message to him.

"I know… I have his strength… No. I am stronger than him." He whispered to himself, smirking like a lunatic, eying the broken mass of blue and red inside the tube. "But I stand no chance against him because of that orb." Rush chuckled, then laughed. Laughed loud and crazy, running his fingers on his hair. "Luckily for us, there are two of those. Two orbs and two beasts… Just wait for me, Brendan. I will crush you and take Groudon for myself. Then we will see who the chosen one is."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	16. Newborn Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

"Want to talk about it now?" Steven sat on the comfortable but rather old padded chair, right across Brendan, who is sitting on the house the only armchair. After lending his favorite seat to his friend, who is looking rather pale and disheartened, the attentive host had excused himself to prepare a soothing tea made of green leaves, and now after coming back from his kitchen, he quietly slid down a steaming hot mug. The steel-blue haired man stood in silence, just watching as his younger friend grabbed his mug and blow the steam and hotness away from his tea.

"I am tired, Steven…" Brendan sighed, taking his eye down to the mug in his hands. "I am... so, so tired."

"Already tired of being a champion?" Steven said jokingly. He crossed his legs and rested his back against the chair.

A snort and them a short laugh escaped from Brendan. The young champion laid his arms on his lap, shaking his head in answer. "I love being the Pokémon League Champion. Actually, being the Champion is one of the last things I still cherish these days." The younger trainer looked down to his cup and took a short chug from it. "Is a little embarrassing to admit this but, I adore when people call me the unbeatable champion."

The sincere grin, paired together with a warm glint on the brown-haired man's eye, is a relieving sight to Steven, who all this time is watching his friend closely, worried about him. "So that's true then? You never lost to a challenger?" Steven asked with a cocky little grin of his own.

"Never. Some get really close to it. But I was never beaten." Brendan's expression turned a bit cold, the upper part of his face being hidden behind his long hair. "Hell, until Rainbow Rocket come exploding things and attacking me when I had only one Pokémon with me… I had never lost even outside of the League's halls."

"Wow, conceited much?" The older trainer chuckled a little, and then quietly return to study his friend's expression. After that little flicker of life, Brendan quickly returned to his moody and depressed tone, somewhat zooming out and barely hearing Steven's words. "Rainbow Rocket, huh? And the naive me thought we would never have a troublesome bunch showing up in Hoenn again."

While Brendan was closing himself inside his own thoughts, a simple mention of this organization was enough to snap his attention back to his surroundings. "Not only you." He added. "After a group of crazy people trying to burn the entire world. Anyone would expect that to be the worse in our lives… And how wrong I was about that."

"You want to talk about it now?" Steven pulled himself from the comfort of his seat, leaning in closer to Brendan, eying him with a curious, worried gaze. "I received word from the Weather Institute. They said you sounded a bit… obsessed with this Rocket people."

A sigh followed Steven's question. "Hah… For a moment, I thought you just wanted to talk about earlier today." With another long and quiet sip from his mug, Brendan averted his eye away and remained in silence.

"I wanted to, no, I want to." Steven corrected. "But I also had this feeling deep down in my mind that something was not right. After that night in Rustboro, you changed a bit." He leaned in ever closer, barely keeping the edge of his butt still on his chair. "Brendan, what happened?"

Brendan's first response was to click his tongue and place his mug down on the little table next to them. He then looked at Steven, more like glared at him, showing clear discomfort with the inquiry that was coming his way. "I saw him, the man who destroyed your family's building. The person who injured and killed so many people."

"A man?" Steven raised a brow in confusion. "I thought all of those criminals had a hand in that."

"No, it was a single man." Brendan shuffled a bit in his seat. He slid his left back inside his shirt and then lifted that whole part up, showing his entire left side. A certain part of his body instantly caught Steven's attention; on the top of his left shoulder, the younger's smooth and pale skin is now charred with a large burned scar. "It was just a moment; I had barely any time to see him… How could I, so many dead people around me. When I got hold of my senses again, I was attacked by someone and tossed right into the raging fire."

The tale in itself is enough to stir more than a few emotions in Steven's head, but the sight of Brendan's new scar made it all worse, to a point that Steven forced himself to bit his bottom lip so he would not shout in anger.

"I was weak." Brendan continued, this time his eye getting unfocused, dazed. "When I saw his red eyes, staring at me, while he boasted about doing those things… I lost my composure. I never felt so pathetic in my life."

"This person sounds like a lunatic. A psychopath." Steven interrupted. While he felt extremely uncomfortable with the events his friends were telling him, it is Brendan's expression, which is unsettling him. "Anyone would be scared in that situation… you are not pathe-"

"I AM NOT ANYONE!" Brendan growled loudly, glaring daggers at his friend. "I was weak, pathetic, and I will not make an excuse for it!" At each word, his expression is getting more agitated and his breathing faster. "That… will not… repeat…" A glint of red flashed in his eye, a certain little orb tangled by itself on the table where it rests.

With no warnings or hints of movement, Steven darted from his seat and grabbed his friend by his shoulders. "Brendan!" He shouted his name once, with a hispid and dry voice. Which surprisingly enough worked and broke Brendan from his spiral of evil thoughts.

"Dammit… I can barely keep my sanity for a few minutes before going all ballistic again." Hiding his features behind his hair again, the brown-haired youth lowered his head, ashamed of his outburst. "I am so tired of this." He pulled the dark, accursed, Poké-Ball from one of his pockets and tossed it on the table, right next to the red orb.

"I can see that… It's if best we avoid anything that will unsettle you like that." With a heavy sigh of his own, Steven slowly pulled his hands away and sat on his chair again. "Can you talk about this morning, without your eye going all red and scary?"

"The... things I have done today. I…" Brendan buried his face down on his hands, hissing with a tingling pain as his fingers touched the swollen bruises. "Using Zinnia's wellbeing as an excuse, I lost my self to blinding rage. Five minutes after unleashing Groudon I didn't even think of her name anymore."

"Feeling angry and wanting payback. That is understandable, after what they have done." Steven said with a neutral expression, not really buying what he was saying but trying to show at least a bit of support to the distressed man.

"Don't." Brendan raised his head, staring intensely at his friend. "Don't try to justify my actions. I nearly killed Wally today. All because of something that happened years ago…" Flashes of memories came to his mind, the way Wally looked at him, how afraid Zinnia appeared to be as he shoved her away from him… and the moment she flew away, taking the green-haired man with her. This pained him more than the throbbing bump that is forcing his right eye to stay closed. 'I may have just lost her too, just like I lost May.'

For a few moments, the two friends only stared at each other, each one lost to words to give the other. That went on until Brendan looked down to the floor with his shoulders deflating with a heavy thought.

"Steven… Did you ever loved someone?" Brendan felt a bit disheartened with his question, giving his friend a short little smile. "Sorry if it sounded a bit weird to ask."

"I don't mind. You just phrased it a bit strange, heh. I am a lot older than you, would be strange if I never had loved someone, right?" Resting his back on the chair again, Steven cast his gaze to the ceiling, remembering old memories from a certain time. "Yeah, I had a great love in my past."

"What was it like?"

"Strange? Difficult, it hurt a lot too." A scoff soon followed Steven's words, somewhat twisting their meaning. "She was amazing, beautiful, serious, extremely smart… I could keep talking about her all day long and I wouldn't even tire."

"Sound like you still loves her…. What happened?" Brendan noticed as his friend twitched with his question.

"She was busy, with work, research and a lot of other responsibilities." At this part Steven felt bitter and somewhat upset, his expression clearly showed that. "I tried to stay in Sinnoh, to work things out, but every day just made obvious that it was all in vain."

Brendan only nodded and quietly waited for the other man to feel ready to speak the rest.

Steven bit his lower lip, closing his eyes. Maybe he regretted his choice or maybe it is just a silly dream of him that maybe things could work out. "In the end, I came back to Hoenn, then became The Pokémon League Champion and got busy myself… Just like her."

"I am sorry for you two… This world is not fair." A stabbing sensation of pain pushed on his chest, forcing Brendan to bend over and hiss with pain. His eyes instinctively moved over to the small table and the objects on top of it.

"What happened with me is the past and I don't care anymore. But you, why continue suffering like that?" With a genuine tone of curiosity, Steven asked looking down to the Poké-Ball at their side. "If this monster only gives you trouble and pain, get rid of it."

"I can't." A low sigh came right after Brendan's reply. "Groudon is only settled or silent because I am here to suppress him. If for some reason, his Poké-Ball gets away from me, be it deep inside a forest or on the bottom of the ocean. He would break free again."

"Fine, he needs to be watched over, I get that. But you don't need to do this alone." With a confident smirk, the steel-blue haired man jumped from his chair and strolled over to his small table, eying both round objects with a small disgust.

A dark chill raised from Brendan's spine, he jolted out of his seat and tried to stop Steven from getting any of them, but he was too late. With the first touch of the man's fingers on the red orb, it's dark and damp inside, flared up in intense light. The black Poké-Ball felt the surge of power, it began to shake and tremble, jumping restlessly on the wooden surface; the mighty beast desperately trying to escape his prison. Steven screamed loudly in pain, the palm of his hand burning with the heat, but his body not responding at all to his commands, he shook his head in an attempt to awaken himself, but it had no avail. As the pain grew stronger, it suddenly faded away, when Brendan slapped the orb down from his hand, the infernal red thing falling down to the floor and slowly losing its light.

"Ghn… What the hell… was that?" Panting heavily, Steven looked down to the palm of his right hand and cringed after he saw how red and how hurt it is.

"If someone other than me tries to touch this thing." Brendan kneeled down and took the orb on his hand; no glow appeared on it this time. "It will react badly and try to use the person to break Groudon away."

"That's new… I remember touching it when you first got it." Steven said, blowing softly at his wounds which did little to subdue the pain.

"Well, they are too close right now. The orb is somewhat an extension of Groudon and when he is too close like this, is like you're holding him in your hands." Brendan explained, now raising both the orb and the Poké-Ball. "Even I wouldn't be able to hold the orb like this for much longer if it wasn't for Rayquaza. He was the one that asked… more like ordered, me to guard over Groudon."

"Wait, Rayquaza? The Legendary Rayquaza?" Steven's surprise is hardly unexpected, while he knows that Brendan met with the Legendary sky dragon, he never knew much about the event that transpired at Sky Tower. "The dragon roared at you a few times and you took the duty to watch over Groudon?"

"Hah, he did roar a few times, but he also talked to me." The younger trainer tapped the side of his head. "His words ringed inside my head, it was so weird. I didn't really hear any voices, but yet I could feel what he was saying to me."

"That sounds… amazing." Steven said with childish like sparkles in his eyes, the man almost forgetting the throbbing pain on his hand. "To be able to talk with a Pokémon like that, a back and forward trading of words. How truly amazing."

"And painful too." Brendan added quickly, bursting his friend happy bubble. "Each of his words felt like heavy punches, hitting me straight on the head." He chuckled after remembering himself cowering with his hands on his temples. The legendary dragon sure gave an awful first impression when he descended from the sky. "Rayquaza gave me a ride to beyond the clouds and bashed against the meteorite, nearly scaring me to death. But then charged this little ride with the worst toll of them all." He looked down to Groudon's Poké-Ball and frowned. "If I knew what that would cost…"

Brendan who was starting to cheer up again instantly turned moody again after remembering of his duty. Moreover, the pained expression on his face deeply affected the steel-haired man, who racked his brains for anything, any solutions to help him, yet nothing came to his mind. With a sigh of exasperation, Brendan faltered forward, his knees almost giving out on him. If was not for Steven quick reaction, grabbing his friend by the arm, the brown-haired young trainer would have fallen on his face.

"Geez Brendan, you look worse by the minute." Steven commented with a bit of unintended harshness on his tone. He casually helped Brendan back to his seat. "Maybe you hit your head harder than you imagine, I should take you to a doctor."

"My head is fine…" Brendan spoke with a low voice, his healthy eye already closed with the exhaustion. "Takes a lot… to subdue Groudon's rage… It's… the same… as last… time…" His last word came out as nothing more as a faint little whisper, which Steven managed to hear thanks to the silence inside his house. As Brendan falls into a deep sleep, his expression softened up, any trace of pain leaving his features. With him now peacefully breathing slowly in his slumber, his black Poké-Ball also stopped completely, not even a stir comes from the dark object. Groudon has finally returned to his resting state.

"I agree with you, my friend…This world isn't fair at all."

* * *

"You shouldn't have done this." Wally said in a comment. His gaze fixed on the back of the tanned woman riding the blue dragon.

"What? You had preferred if I left you there and to get killed?" Zinnia spat in her reply, her voice showing how much she disliked everything in her life right now. "I can always push you out and let you splash down there." She pointed to the heavy forest far below them.

"Brendan will react very badly to this. And with how agitated he was behaving himself, maybe you fleeing with me will be too much for him." Even with the considerable distance between them, Wally could still feel her body tense after hearing those words. "I don't know if you hear about this, but… He had a similar experience in his past."

"I ain't cheating on him!" She cut the green-haired man before he could even start to recall his and Brendan's past. "Don't compare me to that bitch. I would never do that and Brendan knows it." She frowned, biting her lips with the thought. 'I hope he knows that.'

"May didn't cheat on him. I never laid a finger on her and no one else did too." This time Wally was the one replying with spite in his voice. "That didn't change the fact of how things turned out. All the misunderstandings, the bitterness, and distrust that consumed him all these years."

Zinnia shifted around wildly, startling Salamence, who did his best to keep his balance and not drop anyone so far in the air. The draconid girl glared at Wally, ready to tear him down with the most vicious of verbal attacks, she hates him almost as much as she hates May, she blames both of them for stealing away the light that she saw all those years in little Brendan's eyes. Yet she holds her tongue, limiting herself to just curse at him mentally, a miracle considering how upfront she is with everything.

She snorted and glanced to the side. The view of little houses far below them caught her vision, distracting her from the thought of really tossing Wally down. "Look Petalburg, that's where you said that you live, right?" She pointed to the town and looked back at him. "Are you a sailor or what?" She asked, pointing her eyes to his firm and well-built arms.

"Gym Leader actually." He responded with a soft chuckle, not failing to notice where her gaze was fixated. "My mentor was the one that pushed me to train my body as much as my mind. But please stare all you want… is not like your boyfriend doesn't follow the same mantra as me."

"Tsk." With a heavy tint of red marking the tanned skin of her features, the draconid woman looked away from the grinning Wally and turned back to her position, enveloping her arms around Salamence's neck. "Just so you know; he looks way better than you."

"That's debatable and your opinions is clearly biased. But I will take that as a compli- AAAAHHHHH!" With the input of his trainer, Salamence did a sudden turn, nose-diving at high speed down toward Petalburg City.

The peaceful daily routine of the residents of the little city once again suffered an abrupt interference. A really big blue Dragon soared down from the sky, gushes of wind spreading all around the streets. With the screaming of the unsuspecting citizens and all the noises coming from the dragon's flapping wings, the entire count of people that lives in here rushed out of their houses just to see their beloved Gym Leader drop down in front of the Pokémon Gymnasium, his clothes and his body way worse for wear.

"Wally!" A little boy with blond hair rushed over to the young gym leader's side. "What happened to you?" The frantic look on Toby's eyes showed how much he cares about his friend and now mentor; this reaction from the youngster trainer brought a sincere smile to Wally's lips.

"Hey, what trouble you got yourself into?" Jan, the dark-green haired female ace trainer stepped out from the Gym, a serious and worried look on her face as well.

"Wally!?"

"Who's this girl?"

"SHE IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!"

"You saw the sun, just now? It was crazy."

Then the rest of the people began to bombard him with questions and concerned looks. Everyone pushing each other as they made their way next to Wally, suffocating him, Zinnia and even her Salamence.

"Guys, please! One at a time." With his body still throbbing with pained bruises, Wally squeezed himself out of the masses, a short-lived relief as they began to charge after him as he got away from him.

'He sure is loved here, huh…' Also sneaking out to the sides, Zinnia stepped away from the group, casually taking her Salamence back to his Poké-Ball.

The wave of people was ready to tackle him again, the adults worried and curious about his morning and the kids just pushing to have some fun. However, every single one of them stopped in their tracks when a singular figure approached from behind the green-haired young man.

Norman clapped one of his hands on his pupil's shoulder, making Wally jump in surprise. "How did you manage to get this battered and rugged?"

'Oh shit…' Wally cursed to himself. The previous Gym leader of Petalburg one of the people he didn't want to see right now. "I had a little problem today and as you can see, I struggled to deal with it, heh. You know how it is, the life of a Gym Leader."

"By any chance, your little problem involves the raging sun from this morning?" Norman asked, tilting his head a little to the right, giving a cold stare at his former student. "What… Happened?" Now his question came with a demanding voice, his tone sending chills down Wally's spine.

The green-haired young man, shrinking down under his mentor's oppressive gaze. He truly tried to push this conversation to the casual little accident excuse, but it is impossible for him to ignore this man's judgment. "Norman, I went there by my own accord… Don't put this all on him."

"So it as I thought." The older man frowned, his features getting even scarier and intimidating than it already was. "Look at your bruises, the wound on your face. Was he trying to kill you? Is Brendan out of his mind? How can I now put the weight of this actions on him?!" Norman roared; his fierce voice making even the citizens at the back cower in fear.

"Listen, he is not normal. That monster is messing with his head." Wally stepped in, grabbing the senior trainer by his arms. "Even I got a bit fuzzy in the head when I was-"

"Enough!" Norman pushed Wally's hands away. "This is an absurd, how low has he fallen? I tried to remain calm and just observe, but this is enough. Is time for that man to face the consequences for his own actions, like the adult he is."

The coldness carried in Norman's voice as he referred to his own son as just a man, unsettled Wally to his core. He has never seen his master so angered and disconnected; the father that always held his child higher than himself, just now talked about him like a complete stranger.

"ENOUGH YOU!" Zinnia shouted all the way from the back, everyone gasped and turned to face her. "Who do you think you are to talk about Brendan like that, huh?" She marched pass every shocked person in her way, stopping right in front of Norman. The draconid woman, more furious than ever, lifted her right index finger and pressed it against the man's chest with force. "What gives you the right to judge him? Talking all high and mighty like that, when you know shit about my Brendan."

"You... stop that." With a look of disbelief in his face, Wally tried to pull Zinnia away from the older man, just to get pushed away by her.

"Stop calling me you! I have a name all right, Zinnia! Zinnia, that's my name." With her face burning red with anger, she unleashed half of her fury upon Wally but saved just enough to turn around and glared at Norman once again.

"Okay… Zinnia. Please stop that. You really should not talk to him like that." Wally with his face purple with so much embarrassment he is feeling for her, tried to warn the mouthful girl one last time.

"Why not? I ain't afraid of this old man. I can kick his ass at any time." She snorted at the notion of being scared of some middle-aged man. And once again all the town gasped in horror of how defiant she is being in front of this man.

"Because he is Brendan's father." Wally's words stabbed her in the chest little tiny and sharp blades.

Zinnia's brazen attitude and aggressive stance died out, and as if all the blood rushed down from her head, her face turned impossible pale with her eyes growing as wide as they could and her legs wavering like little green sticks. "D-Dad?"

While Norman is a composed and very calm man, even he found himself dumbstruck with the happenings in front of him. He refrained for speaking anything, but the look on his face, together with a few veins popping on his forehead is more than telling his reaction to this crazy woman's stunts… Dad isn't pleased at all.

* * *

"He… he finally stopped. I never saw someone run so much and so fast." Silver wiped the sweat away from his forehead, he never cursed his own 'lazy' body before this day; His lungs are burning up and his head spinning with exhaustion from just a few minutes of running inside the woods.

"The way he was running, it was like a devil was whipping his back with a thorny whip. Heh, what a mental image, geez." Ethan casually kneeled next to a tree, keeping himself hidden as he watches the man they have been following. To Silver's dismay and irritation, the Johto's Champion is barely showing any sign of fatigue, as if the little marathon they just been through was just a warm-up for him.

"The place… that he is looking at." Silver slowly crawled next to his partner; unintentionally he wrapped his left arm around Ethan's upper body, hiding behind the other man's taller body. "What is that?"

"On the map, it says that this is Mt. Pyre, a place of mourning and spiritual connection." With a discontent frown, the raven-haired man took his eyes to the massive mountain and shook his head. "Yikes, not another of those places… They give me the creeps."

"Ohh… the creeps, you say?" A defiant smirk found its way to the red-haired's lips. "I thought you are incapable of feeling fear, what happened to that part of your fairy tale with Ho-oh?"

"Being uncomfortable with dead people around you, is not feeling fear." Ethan broke his gaze away from the men way ahead of them and looked back to Silver. "You keep talking like this just to get under my skin. And you know what? You've been very successful with that."

"Don't look at me like that; you're the one making up ridiculous stuff and expecting people to believe you." To Silver making Ethan lose his cool and mess with his head never gets old, it is so enjoyable for the red-haired that he is almost forgetting the reason why they are here.

With a fast swirl of his body, Ethan jumped on his feet and bashed his right hand against his partner's shoulder. In a moment's notice, the man who as calming staring down the green hill, shifted his whole attention to his, at this moment, extremely annoying rival, pushing the red-haired trainer against the large tree.

"I don't care if you want to talk shit about me all day, I never cared, if I did… I wouldn't ever tolerate this awful personality of yours." He put even more strength on his arm, to the point of making Silver hiss with pain. "But don't make fun of stuff you don't understand. Heart of Gold is his gift to me, and my duty to Johto. You don't believe it? I couldn't care less, but no more jokes about it."

Here it is again, the sensation that had been stuck inside Silver's head ever since he joined up with his rival in their quest. While he always loathed Ethan for being stronger than him, despite this trainer's goofy nature, he also discovered that he simply cannot ignore the other side of this man. To someone that is always friendly and easygoing, he is also the scariest person in the world whenever his golden eyes stare down menacingly at someone. And to Silver, being under this heavy gaze is a strangely unique feeling.

The large old three shook wildly as the angry man pushed the red-haired against it again. "You got it?" He said more in a royal demand than a simple question. To which his rival quietly responded with a nod, yet never tore his eyes away, holding his ground with the dignity of not showing how much effect this had on him.

Getting somewhat the response he wanted, Ethan released his hold of his partner's shoulder and turned away from him. "Tsk… I lost him." With a frown in his features, the taller trainer squats down closer to the next tree, peeling his eyes to any movement ahead of them.

With a lingering sting feeling on his back, Silver stepped closer to his partner, clearing his throat softly in an attempt to get Ethan's attention. "I didn't mean to… go over the top." Normally Silver would just scoff and walked away with his nose pointing to the sky, showing how little he thinks of other people. But just with Ethan, the person he loathed the most in his teenager phase and most of his young adult age, he finds himself unable to treat him in anything less than his equal.

"Don't stress yourself with this… I got carried away, I guess. You're who you are, no need to change that, and to tell the truth I'm kind of getting used to your nasty comments spinning in my head all the time." With another complete shift of his mood, Ethan glanced back to Silver and gave him a bright and warm smile. Then his left head did a little twitch, his head turning in the direction of the sea. "Hah! There he is. Look at that crazy cookie, he is swimming into deep waters all by himself."

"Why not use an aquatic Pokémon?" Silver raised the question; both rivals returning to their normal behavior in no time. "Wait, better yet, isn't his make-up, or whatever it is, going to fall off because of the water?"

"If he was using make-up and wigs that would've come off way earlier when he tripped and smashed his face on that brush." Running two fingers in his chin, the raven-haired man fixed his gaze on the figure swimming further and further away. "There's… two?! How can this be?"

"Two?" Silver walked next to the edge of the cliff's slop, holding one hand above his eyes to shield them from the sunlight. He scanned all the water and only found a couple of Pokémon swimming peacefully, ignoring the man swimming with an undying vigor next to the base of Mt. Pyre. "Did the heat from that scorching sun messed with your head? I can only see that slippery freak."

"Yes, just one slippery person… but two beings." Ethan saw the look of confusion coming over from the red-haired and chuckled. "Look, this is the best way I can put this. I can feel two presences coming from that guy, it's weird."

"Feel presences? Are you a psychic now?" At first, Silver crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave a judging glare to golden-eyed man. Ethan responded by looking at him seriously and pointing his right thumb to his chest. That gave a slight explanation behind the meaning of his words. "Your heart's power thing?"

Ethan was glad that Silver didn't outright mock him and couldn't help himself but laugh a little with the increasing confusion being so apparent on the red-haired youth's face. "Just so you know my heart isn't really made of gold. But yeah, it's one of the perks I got from Ho-oh's gift." He stood up and strolled over to the edge too. "People and Pokémon, everyone has a little aura about them, something you can feel if you know what it is." He smirked and tapped the back of his hand onto Silver's chest. "You have one too. I can feel this grumpy heart of yours from miles away. But that person over there." He pointed down to the cold seawaters bellow them. "He has two, a larger presence that I assume is his own and something else. A small and confused one, a mess of thoughts coming from him too. Not that I can read his mind or know what those thoughts are anyway." Ethan looked to the side and found a dumbstruck Silver staring at him, more confused than he was before, slightly red and uncomfortable with the casual touching. "Too much at once?" He asked with a silly grin.

"Yes… too much." Silver responded with a small nod. "The more you talk, the less I believe in you."

"Give it time; you will cozy to the idea of how awesome I am. At the start, even I didn't believe it either." Ethan shuffled inside one of his pants large pockets, taking a Pokémon in his hand. "Until I started to hear and understand what Flames was talking." He tossed the Poké-Ball down in the water, a giant and imposing Red Gyarados appeared on the surface. The water dragon roared loudly in his entrance but calmly swam over the edge of the cliff to make way for his trainer. "Look, your favorite slippery creep just turned over the edge. We need to get there." He jumped down on the water, doing a reckless nosedive on the water but safely getting there without any complications.

"Wait… Then, you really understand what they say?" Silver asked more to himself than anything, since Ethan had jumped down on the water and would not hear him. Inside his head, the slowly began to put everything together, every time Ethan interacted with a Pokémon, even with his own Weavile, he always behaved as if he knew more than anyone else… However, Silver never considered the fact that he indeed knew and that wasn't just a stupid façade coming from an overconfident trainer. To know this now changes many things in Silver's eyes.

"Ooii, Silver! Jump down already." The goofy raven-haired trainer shouted from below. He is standing on top of his Gyarados' head, waving with one hand and smiling casually.

"Damn it… you really are interesting, aren't you?" Silver looked down and smirked, feeling lucky to have found such an intriguing rival.

* * *

"You saw that? What a rude person!" Glaring angrily towards the ladder to the next floor, a woman with long and fluffy dark blue hair stomped her left foot on the stony ground. "He didn't even look at me when I asked for a battle... So, so rude!"

"Maybe he is just grieving or something like that." Another female trainer is standing next to the blue haired one. She is caringly rubbing her friend's back, trying to calm her frustration.

However, just as two newcomers entered the building under the mountain, the angry woman's eyes sparkled with life once again. "Hey, you!" She shouted pointing to the first to step in, a red-haired young man with smooth features. "Let's face each other in a proper battle and experience the connection with the spirits."

His red eyes locked their gaze unto her, the brows frowning and a heavy clicking sound of his tongue echoed inside the room. "Fuck off." Silver growled his response, his tone making the smaller girl with pink hair, who is standing next to her blue-haired friend, jump backward startled.

"What was that! Is everyone rude these days?!" She jumped forward, fists at ready to tangle with this rude person… Well, at least she tried to appear menacingly but failed miserably as even the stance of her arms is completely off.

"Hey there, pardon my friend here." The second man, a raven-haired handsome young trainer walked forward. He greeted the furious woman with a sparkling smile, practically extinguishing her bad mood. "I think what he tried to say, is that we cannot afford to battle in the middle of this fire."

Both girls looked at each other, wondering if this second one is just as messed in the head as the red-haired one. "What fire?" They asked in unison.

Ethan responded to their question with a sly grin and then a giant wave of fire exploded on the leftmost side of the room, the red scolding flames going as high as the ceiling and instantly making the entire place a blazing inferno.

"Oh God! FIRE!" An elderly bald man, dressed in a white kimono, jumped from his little hiding place next to the stairs and dashed as fast as a Rapidash thought the exit door. Following his record time escapee, every other person on this floor, trainer or not, ran after him; some even jumping straight into the seawater, scared to death with the sudden explosion of flames.

When only Ethan and Silver remained inside the first floor, the flames changed their direction and like a living thing, they serpentine their way to the door and explode to live again, but all the rest of the fire on the room died out as fast as they came to life. With his job done, Ethan's Typhlosion walked out from behind one of the large grave tombs, giving a questioning look to his trainer.

"Great stuff, Flames." Ethan gave his trusted partner a thumbs up paired together with an approving nod. "Just don't forget to extinguish the flames from that door, when we scare the people on the other floors." Flames gave him a mean look and mumbled something softly. "Stop being grumpy, geez. You always loved to do this trick when you were a Cyndaquil."

Truly being a grumpy Pokémon. Flames rolled his eyes to the side and began to walk up the stairs by himself, leaving the two trainers behind so he would not accidentally spit some fire at them.

"What a charming fellow…" Silver smirked as he watched the Typhlosion walk away.

"He just likes to complain…" Ethan tried to explain, but it did nothing to faze his rival's mocking grin. "Tsk. He will get the job done. That guy has yet to fail with me, despite his moods sometimes."

Going from floor to floor, the pair of trainers successfully scared everyone out of Mt. Pyre. Even the most dedicated person to their mourning rituals flee out at the sight of red raging flames consuming the walls of the crypts. Tough the fake conflagration was wild and spooky to see, Flames did his best to but his strength only on the showing part and avoiding doing any real damage to the place.

After assuring one hundred percent that everyone else had escaped away from the mountain interior, they headed out to the last floor. Finally catching up to the target they follow for more than a few hours inside forests and sea.

"I warn you. This is not only a simple bed-time tale." An old woman with grey robes, and holding a long wooden cane in her hands, stands next to a stone altar. She is pointing down to the man with long brown hairs, poising herself between him and the shiny little blue orb behind her. "As they carry the power to sooth the legendary beasts' anger, they also carry the means to awaken such a terrible catastrophe."

"You already told me this. But you fail to realize one fact." The man replied with a dark façade in his face. "I don't care. Your story speaks of everything, except the fact that this little blue thing is the key to my absolute power. My rightful power!"

The woman froze up, looking down at him with a pondering face. "You seek no to unleash the beast, but to control it?" She asked incredulously of his words. "Then your fate is already sealed." She slowly walked down the stone-made steps, her old legs carrying her with patience and difficulties; the old sage stopped next to him, taking a long and tired breath. "I may not be able to see with these tired eyes of mine. However, I can still perceive that you are not Hoenn's Guardian. Take the orb in your hands and you will perish… maybe all of us will." She then casually walked away, the tapping sound of her cane getting lower and farther, and then completely dying out as she exited the area where she guarded for so long.

"Perish… Crazy old hag." Rush, disguised with Brendan's face, clicked his tongue and shook his head. He slowly climbed one-step, getting closer and closer to his objective. "This is the answer to everything, I don't need Giovanni anymore, and I don't need any of them." He climbed other two-steps. "I will control Kyogre and then Groudon. No one will be able to stop me."

" **Take… the orb…"** The same ghostly voice echoed inside his mind, urging him to lunge forward and claim what he deems as his.

"Don't worry… I will." Rush jumped the remaining steps, getting face to face with the blue orb. His fingers twitching in anticipation.

A loud and piercing whistle sounded from behind, startling the crazed-eyed man. Rush turned around, his eyes landing on two unknown figures staring directly at him.

"Yo, mister slippery bastard." Ethan taunted him with a confident grin. "Don't know about touching that thing. That lady sounded very sure about the bad things that could happen."

"Who the hell are you?" Rush spat out, an angry scowl popping up in his features.

"He doesn't know me?" Ethan looked to Silver, real disappointment showing his face. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Sir kicks your butt." He immediately chuckled after saying that. "And this loving person here; is Mister spanks your ass, the second."

"I don't want to spank his ass…" Silver replied with a frown of disgust.

"Oooh, so you want to spank someone's ass." With the focus of an energetic child, the raven-haired trainer completely shifted his attention to his rival's statement, for a second even forgetting the person standing in front of them.

"Hah… Hahahaha. Now I remember." Rush took one hand to his face, cracking a huge smile on his lips. "You're Johto's guardian. Hehe… Hahahaha. To think that the mighty Ethan himself would be here for my ascension. What a wonderful surprise."

"Yikes, the man his crazy as Mankey." Ethan cringed at the look he is receiving from the brown-haired man. "Just do us a favor and before you start with the insane bad guy speech, tell us who are you and how come you look exactly as Hoenn's champion."

"This?" Rush ran two fingers on his left cheek. His creepy smile getting even worse. "I handy tool, that I once thought only as a mean to upset dear little Brendan." He grabbed the bottom of his chin and roughly pulled his "skin" out. As the first bit tore away from his real chin, the entirety of the mask came off, turning its color back to a powerful white and the man's face behind it changing to his normal self, even his hair changing back like a magic trick.

Silver looked sickened with the sight of someone almost literally ripping his own face out, while Ethan is just watching him with curious eyes.

"But now I know better." Rush trailed his fingers on the white surface of his mask. "I don't need to pretend to be Brendan… Not when I can become Brendan entirely." He popped the mask back on his face, long brown bangs of hair falling down on his face again. "Guardian's privilege included." He smirked once again, as his body completely changed back to Brendan's form.

"Is this my father's plan?" Silver shouted in an uproar. The red-haired beyond disgusted with the showing of shapeshifting. "It has been too long since I held any respect for that man… But to start cloning people." He bit his lower lip, regretting ever allowing his father to disappear out of his sight.

"You couldn't be more wrong, young boss. Giovanni is a fool! He handed to me this mask without even realizing how much power it has… without even…" Rush took a long breath, his eyes losing some of its focus, staring high up to the sky.

Ethan sighed and slapped one hand onto his forehead. "Oh boy… Here it comes the speech."

"I am the strongest member of Rainbow Rocket's enforcers! Now, I will become the strongest trainer in the entire world. First, I will take control of Hoenn's legendary beasts, and then I will roam over from land to land, clamming every and each one of those overgrown monsters. No one will be able to stand against me. The one to unite the world under their grasp will be me and not that delusional Giovanni." Rush stopped for a moment after spitting word after word without a break, and after getting his breath back, he motioned to continue. "Then I-"

" **Fire Blast**!" Ethan shouted louder than Rush's words. A powerful ball of fire flew from just above Ethan's head. A nasty explosion of fire erupting on the altar, that almost engulfed Rush in its wake. Luckily, for the fake brown-haired man, he grabbed the blue orb just and ducked to the side just in time. "Sorry man. I grow bored of speeches way to quick. Nothing personal."

"Always the funny man…" Rush growled, clenching his hold on the tiny thing in his hands. "I will break that smile of yours. Then we will see how funny you can be." He shot his arm forward, pointing the orb out into the duo direction. "Come Kyogre! Come and destroy this rabble without any mercy!" He shouted on the top of his lungs, the orb on his hand began to glow with a faint little light.

Silver sheltered his eyes from the light; he took a defensive stance, taking one Poké-Ball out of his pockets. Ethan whistled loudly again, pointing to his left side; to which his Typhlosion responded by jumped forward and standing where his trainer ordered to, right in front of Silver. Then the raven-haired man grabbed a purple looking Poké-Ball out of the lone pocket in the left leg of his pants.

The air grew heavy as the light from the orb got stronger and stronger. Both trainers held their breath in anticipation, waiting for the impeding monstrosity to appear and wreak havoc upon them. Time began to pass fast, no one moving from their spot… still waiting for Kyogre's appearance… but began quite apparent that nothing was happening despite the blue orb showering them with its blue glow.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?" Rush angrily roared, his face twisting with panic.

"Got a little problem there, friend?" Ethan relaxed his stance. He chuckled at the desperate glared he received from the imposter. "Try blowing it over or maybe give it a little wipe. Heh, maybe the ball is just a bit rusty."

Rush gritted his teeth fiercely to a point that they could even break from that much pressure. He pulled two Poké-Balls out of his pockets and tossed them in the air. "YOU WILL STOP MOCKING ME!" He roared loudly again, a blue ferocious Hydreigon and a particularly angry looking black Haxorus, landed in front of the mad trainer.

"Aahhh, I made him angry." Ethan did a little pout, clearly mocking even more the irate man. "Want to take one?" He turned his head to the side and asked his partner-rival.

"Hmph. I will take the Shiny Dragon." Silver tossed his Poké-Ball forward, calling out a mean-looking Rhyperior.

"Fine by me." Ethan put his purple Poké-Ball back in his left pocket. "Flames, that Hydreigon is yours." With a mighty roar, Flames stomped forward. Getting ready to engage his opponent in battle.

"Haxorus and Hydreigon! Keep those two occupied until I work this damned thing out." Rush shouted out, turning his back to the battle. And with his orders, the impatient Shiny Haxorus dashed forward at full speed, aiming to the first thing in front of him; which ended up being Ethan, instead of any of the two opposing Pokémon.

With a defiant smirk, Ethan stared at the black wingless dragon charging at him; he neither moved nor showed hesitation in his stare down. Just as the vicious red claws were flying at him, Rhyperior's large body landed in front of him, stopping the shiny's Pokémon attempt.

"Your opponents are us. Stupid lizard." Silver glared at the Axe Jaw Pokémon. Who responded by glaring back at the red-haired and his rock-ground Pokémon.

Not fazed by Rhyperior's size and robust body, Haxorus began to dish a fast-paced stream of attacks with his claws. The rocky emperor replied with the same intensity, but instead of attacking with a fast combo of attacks, he reserved himself to block most of his opponents attack, occasionally tabbing forward with his heavy fist and knocking the black dragon a few meters back with each punch.

By this point already ignoring the first battle that exploded behind him. Ethan walked forward, pass his Typhlosion and closer to Hydreigon. The dragon of three heads growled in warning, poising his middle head, ready to bite the man in front of him. Yet the blue dragon could not do it, the golden gaze coming from this trainer shook the large Pokémon to his core. "Sorry little guy. Normally I refrain for hurting any Pokémon even when it's necessary." His golden eyes flared a look of intimidation, his face never as serious as now. "But you will get out of my way."

A red blur flew from the side, Typhlosion moved like a flash of light. His small but heavy fists flared with fire and the Volcano Pokémon shot a barrage of flame infused punches onto Hydreigon. Each punch echoed like a clap of thunder, each hit making the blue dragon screech ever so loud; a torrent of pain taking over the poor Pokémon's senses. With just one sequence of Flames' attack, Hydreigon got thrown into the air; dazed out of combat and bruised at every bit of his extensive body.

Having already defeated the Pokémon in his way, Ethan stepped closer to Rush, who is already next to the edge of a dead-dangerous cliff. "Look, Fake-face." He spoke loudly, getting the man's attention. "No more games between us. Put that thing back or you will get more punches in that head of yours than that Hydreigon did." Flames stomped next to his trainer, cracking one of his knuckles, standing more than ready to follow through with Ethan's threat.

"ETHAN!" Silver shouted from the back, his out of character and agitated tone, startling the golden-eyed trainer.

Ethan looked to his back only to find Silver engulfed below a massive shadow looming over him. He took his eyes up and saw a massive, seemingly never-ending wave of water coming onto Mt. Pyre's summit. In an instant reaction, Ethan called his Typhlosion back to his Pokémon just in time, before the wave crashed on top of everything.

Having withstood the impact of that tide wave, only thanks to his Rhyperior's sturdy body, who held to his trainer and shielded him. Silver coughed desperately the water that invaded his mouth; his eyes frantically searched his surroundings, finding only the destruction left behind that absurd event. No rocks were left in place, even the grassy ground became nothing more than brown wet dirt. However, the more important fact is that Ethan is nowhere to be seen.

"Eth- gah… Ethan?!" Silver got back on his feet, he tried to shout his rival name, but only a low voice escaped his mouth.

"I said that he would pay the price for mocking me… That I would break that smirk of his." Rush who also barely managed to stay on the high surface looked down on Silver and raised both arms, the blue orb glowing even more on his right hand. "Behold my new little toy!" He pointed to the other side of the mountain, to the giant creature, who in an impossible feat, is riding on top of a standstill torrent of water, staring down at them.

"That is… Kyogre?!" Silver stared high to the ancient beast, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine as Kyogre's eyes fixed down onto him. "Holy crap... he is bigger than that other red monster." Despite the shaking feeling on his leg, Silver stood his ground with his Rhyperior at his side. They both only stared up to the monster who could squash them at the whimsy of his will.

" **This is the third time you summon me in a free fall. Have you also received the gift of stupidness?"**

"I know, I know. Sorry about that Lugia. But this time I have an even match for you." In a boom of air, a giant white bird soared the sky. Lugia dove down to the massive torrent of water and passed just below Kyogre. He and Ethan managing to pass by the aquatic colossus with easy. "See, I told I found an even match you."

" **I don't remember asking for an even match."** Lugia responded, but to everyone else besides Ethan, he just roared as usual. Johto's Lord of the Sea eyed down his much bigger opponent with a pondering look. **"I expect you to know the fact that despite having reign over the seas, I cannot control water like that."**

"And you won't need it." Ethan replied with a grin. "Just this once, I will allow you to go all out. Ho-oh won't hear a thing about it."

" **Allow me? I'm surprised of how courageous you are to be able to speak like that."** Lugia roared even louder and angrier. **"One day I will bite your head off for saying that cursed thing's name."**

"You're not deceiving anyone Lugia." Ethan tapped the white legendary on his neck, much to his annoyance. "I can feel your excitement. You of out of everyone knows that you can hide it from me." Changing his playful expression to a cold serious one, Ethan glared at Kyogre. "Let's take him down."

" **Huh… conceited child. I will destroy that false ruler by my own volition."** With a stronger swing of his wings, Lugia ascended higher in the air. Smaller torrents of water sprung from the sea, Kyogre aiming to take down his opponent with one strike, but missing at every attempt. As he reached the clouds, Lugia did a complete turn of his body, spreading his wings wide and long, the Lord of the Seas opened his mouth and a ball of pure white energy began to form inside of it. **"Aeroblast!"** A beam of white flashed down in a moment's instance, hitting Kyogre directly into his body.

A loud screech came from the blue titan; Kyogre waved on his spot but managed to stay floating high on top of this torrent. Four others mini torrents flew from below, spiraling in a ragging rebuke. In a gracious swoop, Lugia evaded all attacks easily and fired another beam of white energy down at his opponent. **Aeroblast** after **Aeroblast** , Lugia withered down Kyogre's resistances and toppled the giant legendary from his tower of water. An unbelievable splash flying up, creating an artificial little rain down on Mt. Pyre's summit.

"How can this be…" Rush fell down on his knees. The sight of his new "toy" being trashed like nothing in front of him only served to throw the young man down into a pit of desperation. "He is supposed to be the strongest… I am supposed to be the best. I will not accept this!" He shouted furiously, cursing at the image of Ethan flying far high with his own legendary. Then a stinging pain appeared inside of Rush's head.

" **Neither will I."** A dreading voice echoed inside his head, just these three words where enough to make Rush grab his head and scream with pain. **"My hated enemy has returned to his primal form… This INFERIOR being is overpowering this husk of a body… RELEASE ME!"**

Rush arched his back in an unnatural way, both of his eyes losing their color and becoming entirely white. "Gaahh… Stop… STOP!" He crashed down on the ground, rolling from one side to another. The orb in his hand flaring up with its light, forcing his will upon the already fragile mind of the young enforcer. "AAAAHHHH" Rush screeches pierced the wind, his pained voices going as high as to reach Ethan's ears. His right eye that was white and soulless, flared up in blue light, a blue alpha pattern coming to life where once was his iris.

" **RETURN MY POWER TO ME!"** Kyogre's voice exploded inside his head, the unbearable pain causing Rush to bleed from his nose and from his ears. But even in his word of pain, Rush served as the beacon Kyogre needed and the once depowered primal exploded in a bright light, a sphere of water surrounded him and his body changed back to its former glory.

"That looks bad." Ethan said with a unsettle voice.

" **Grandiose observation. He is twice as huge as before."** Lugia responded with a cynical comment of his own.

"Not that, you big mouthed bird." With a concerned frown, Ethan stared down to the summit. He noticed Silver trying to hold Rush in place, but having little success in stopping the screaming coming from below. "The guy down there, this thing is ripping him apart."

" **Then focus on taking it down."** Lugia also averted his attention to the commotion below and even the legendary Pokémon couldn't help but cringe at the agonizing voice coming from the little human down there. **"I will take on your offer and use everythin-"** A massive waterspout, bigger than Mt. Pyre itself, raised from the sea. Its raging spiral waters swallowing Lugia and Ethan inside itself as if they were no more than little flies.

Silver found himself agape and out of place. He always thought of himself as a stellar trainer, but this cataclysmic fight is beyond even himself. The red-haired could only watch in despair as Ethan and Lugia disappeared behind humongous tornado made out of water. He looked down to the man screaming in his arms and cursed. "You made this mess yourself, you jackass. Now wake up and stop this!" He shook Rush violently, but to no avail. He reached down to the glowing orb on the man's hand and tried to take it away, but his fingers didn't even manage to touch that thing as his hand got repelled back before getting to close. Silver's red eyes wandered up to the impostor's face and noticed a large crack running down from his nose to his cheek, and something clicked inside his head.

Doing just as he saw how Rush did before, he ran two fingers down the man's chin and grabbed hold of something akin to a loose skin. With a lot of force, Silver pulled it up and tore the mask out of Rush's face. The screams stopped instantly, the pattern in his eye disappeared and the orb's light died out as if it was never there. Broken, but extremely hot, the white mask began to tremble in Silver's hand, it lost its form changing back to a strange goo made of blue and red. Without even a moment to spare and understand what was happening, Silver just watched as the once mask liquefied itself and wiggled its way into the edge of the cliff, following down to the sea.

The waterspout exploded, water running out everywhere, even to the forest far away from the sea. Kyogre fell down to the ocean again, his surrounding bubble of water going away and his body powering down to its weakened state. However, the blue titan would not tolerate this; he towered up high above Mt. Pyre again, riding on top of another torrent, his eyes furiously staring down at the red-haired man and the unconscious Rush laying in his arms. A second torrent of water raised up, larger and longer than the one Kyogre is riding, the tip of this torrent turning down and aiming at the summit, ready to smash everything in its path.

"Shit… No way out now." Silver breathed hard, his only choice was to call his Rhyperior back and wait for his fate.

However, out of nowhere, Ethan fell down at his side, rolling away as to break his fall. "Go!" Ethan charged back to his friend, grabbing him by the arm.

"What are you doing?" Silver shouted his question, more in a surprised way than an angry one.

"Just run!" Ethan shouted back, pulling Silver's arm with even more force. "Dammit, we are out of time!" Just a few feet away from the edge, Ethan turned around and enveloped Silver around his arms; he threw both of them backward in hopes of being pushed back for what was soon to follow.

In a moment, everything around them vanished. In just a moment, all was consumed by a white light.

On this day, a dome of white appeared like a massive dot on Hoenn's map. A devastating explosion so loud that it was heard on the most distant town, yet to those who were close to the point; all that they could hear was a deafening ring clouding their ears.

"E… Et… Ethan!" Silver pulled his friend closer; his voice desperately trying to reach him, trying to wake him up, the red-haired is swimming with a lot of effort trying to make both of them stay afloat. As the raven-haired man slowly opened his eyes, Silver's lips parted in a smile, a glad and relieved one. "You moron, for a moment… I thought we were dead."

"I… had a plan… ghh…" Then hissed in pain, his left arm broke as he used his left side to protect not only himself but also Silver from the fall. "I told Lugia… to blast that bastard away…. It… worked…" Once again his eyes closed down, maybe the pain on his broken arm got to him or another injury instead. However, Ethan went out cold and he is not awakening anytime soon.

Silver took a deep breath, he held even closer to his unconscious friend. The giant shadow of Lugia towered over them as the legendary bird stood victorious in the air. The red-eyed youth looked all around them, he cursed the day he convinced himself to bring Ethan with him, but he also never felt so glad in his life for having this annoying person with him.

"Your plan worked… but maybe…" His eyes glided over to the place where once stood , now nothing more than rumble and broken stones. Kyogre was nowhere in sight and by the look of everything; he was probably in no shape to continue fighting. "Just maybe, you overdid this." With the corner of his eyes, Silver also noticed everyone they scared away from the mountain, standing at the shores, watching the scene in horror, but all of them safe and sound. "Hah… Did you knew it would end up like this?" Glanced down to Ethan's peaceful features and a short grin appeared in his lips. "Never a half-done job huh? Johto's Champion."

* * *

.

.

.

.

* * *

Inside the dark room of the abandoned Rainbow Rocket labs, the strange little blue and red blob pushed itself against the window. Its insistence somewhat influencing the water to move together with it, after minutes and more minutes of banging at the clean window, the glass finally cracked and broke off, water pouring down inside one of the last safe rooms inside the submerge underground level.

Faint rains of light echoed from inside the little blob, in the form of a signal, this glow got picked by the large mass of blue and red inside the big container. This mess of blue and red that maintained itself still and silent for this whole time, began to shake violently, going from one side to another, bashing in the same manner its smaller counterpart did to enter the room. As the water raised to the point of filling half of the room, another cracking sound echoed on this confined space, the big container finally giving up.

The big blue and red reunited itself with the smaller one, both glowing lights fusing back into one whole thing. As the ocean' water swallowed everything, making the entire room dark and silent once again.

On the dark stairs from the first floor on the base, the water began to stir. A shadow slowly emerging up from the lower levels. A man with pale skin emerged from the water, long brown hair sticking on his face as he coughed water desperately trying to breathe, something that he never did before, but found himself wanting it like a bestial instinct. "Wh-Where…" The man coughed even more water and some strange fluid together with it. He fell down with his knees on the metal floor, holding his upper body up with both hands.

"Who… Am… I?" He raised his head, looking up to the dark place surrounding him, a sparkling light coming from below caught his attention, forcing his gaze to go down. It the shallow water next to his hand, he saw a reflection of himself; a handsome young man with a red left eye and a bright blue right eye. "This… is…"

Then a violent pain surged from within his brain, flashes of memories coming to life all at once.

A vision of him taking his first Pokémon, a tiny shy Trecko.

Another vision from his first battle against Wally.

His final battle against Steven, riding Rayquaza to save the word, his first date with May.

Every and each little trace of his being pouring up at the same time into his head.

"I know… My name…" He said in a pained whisper, as more and more memories rushed in. "I am… Brendan."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	17. Over Your Head

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Wow it sure took my time to finish this one... I guess I had (Have) a conflicted feeling about this chapter. I was having a lot of difficulties deciding on what to put here and what to take out, Still not sure if it is good, but oh well..._

_On another note, I will like to point out the name of this chapter. At the beginning of the month, one of the best musician I had ever know passed away and I wanted to make a little homage to him in the form of the tittle, using the name of one of his songs. Rest in peace Maestro André Matos, you will be missed..._

_For anyone that will go and listen to the song; Over your head - Shaman. I recommend listening to the live version that in my opinion is far better than the studio one. And for those who will look up the lyrics of this songs, I got something special for you... inside the lyrics are some hidden clues to a few very big spoilers about the future of this story. A fun little thing for those who like to find hidden things ;)._

* * *

"You think he is under the primal's influence…" Norman gave a long thinking sigh, closing his eyes as he digested the information. "That makes him an even greater danger." He felt a piercing glare coming his way from the draconid young woman sitting in front of him. "Even for himself."

Despite the agitated and bad first exchange between the retired Gym Leader and the mouthful girl, Wally managed cool the nerves around them enough to bring both Norman and Zinnia back to his house, in a hopeful attempt to clarify everything. Now, the three of them find themselves on the young green-haired man' living room, sitting on a large blue tatami mat at the center of the room. Familiarized with this way of life, Norman and his pupil are properly sitting on their spot, legs crossed and backs straight; Zinnia on the other hand occasionally shifts around, changing position all the time.

From time to time, Wally kept glancing to the open window on his left wall. His mind wondering and worrying about the immense explosion of a few minutes ago. 'Is Hoenn falling apart?' He pondered with himself, almost ignoring the other two persons in his house.

"He is not… a danger." Zinnia said; a subtle hesitation apparent on her voice. "To anyone…"

Again, a little sigh escaped Norman, but now a gentler and understanding look showing on his features. "You're his girlfriend, isn't that right?" He said in complete honesty, which still managed to unsettle Zinnia a little. "To love and to be loved is a wonderful thing, truly is. Seeing someone so passionate holding my son dear in their heart gives nothing but relief. However…" The older trainer focused his gaze at her, looking directly at her eyes. The cold seriousness in his eyes, making the tanned girl feel a lump in her throat, a little scary feeling of what he may say to her now. "Brendan is my son and despite what you might think, no one knows him better than I know… After all, I saw him grow from a little energetic toddler to the young man he is today."

'It doesn't seem like that.' She echoed this though only inside her head, her lips trembling to say it, yet her mouth never opened up. 'If you were so close to him… why does he felt so alone?' She glared at him a bit more fiercely, biting her lips as to shut her mouth.

And despite her silence, Norman's eyebrow twitched as he noticed the uncomfortable look apparent on her face. "Distance is not ignorance nor is complacency. My son has chosen his path, a singular one. Neither his mother nor I could be with him on that path. That does not mean we abandoned him, forgot about him." Raising two fingers to his forehead, the old man rubbed away a light headache that was starting to take form. "Brendan is brave, but that also lends to his recklessness. He is smart, but also naive. He may be able to take on the whole world to defend what he believes in, and in that strength lies his biggest fault."

Zinnia felt distressed at the man sudden pause. She waited a few moments and yet he never continued, this making her own nerves go wry again. "Which is?" Her voice came out hispid, impatience.

"There is a balance in everything." Wally jumped in making her change her sights to him. He remained calm, eyes closed as he holds both arms crossed in front of his chest. "There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil. A weapon can be lethal regardless of which hand wields it." The young gym leader's words only served to confuse Zinnia even more. In her slight confusion, he darted her gaze back to Norman, who nodded in affirmation of what his pupil said.

"Brendan's strength is the weapon. Take it as the most powerful weapon." Norman placed his right hand, wide open, in front of him. "Yet he lacks control of his own emotions, to an extent... he always did." He shook his head softly, showing a bit of regret on his own part in this. Then, the older man raised his left hand, poising it right next to the other. "Zinnia, take your time and give me your answer to this: What happens when a weapon that powerful is held by shaken hands?"

"It falls?" She said with an uncertain voice, her left brow raised a bit.

A little chuckle came from Wally at her left side, but Norman just shook his head disapprovingly.

"Someone gets hurt." Norman said dryly. "Today it was Wally, tomorrow it may be you… or it may be Brendan himself." He pulled his arms back to his chest, crossing them in formal form. "Look, I may sound harsh and my words may upset you in some manner. But I only said this, because I care about my son." For a brief moment, Norman held his head low, considering his words carefully. "I placed my full trust on him and it was my mistake… I failed to realize the true weight of the burden he carries. He cannot carry that much alone, no one can."

"Then I will carry it with him." Zinnia blurted out almost instantly.

"Oh?" Norman eyed her curiously, considering her words with his full attention.

"These past days, no, weeks. I've seen Brendan get assaulted, hurt and even blamed for things he hasn't and would never do." Her eyes flared up with a bright determination. "I will share any burden with him, no matter the weight. Standing by his side and beating the hell of anyone that tries to harm him." With a side-glance, she threw a shady look at Wally, who shuffled a bit uncomfortable in his spot.

"Hm… Those are some heavy words." Norman looked up to her with a plain smile. "Are you willing to see them through? Zinnia, are you willing to go at such lengths for him?"

"Yes!" She jumped on her feet, a determined shout coming out of her. A faint red tint crept on her face, her eyes averting to the side just enough to not look directly at the man's eyes. "I love him..."

"Then, Brendan is lucky to have you in his life." A bright white smile appearing on Norman's lips. With a gracious movement, the older man raised from his spot just enough to free his legs and put his knees on the tatami. Bending his head slightly, he bowed to her in all respect. "I will leave my son under your care."

She smiled back, a gigged feeling overflowing her. With the apparent approval of her lover's father over their relationship, Zinnia got up on her feet and bowed back to him, sparing a simple little grin to poor Wally, who remains to fall under her good graces. "I will bring Brendan back, just leave it to me." With that said; she turned up and left the house, skipping her way to the sunny, peacefully sunny, Petalburg.

"Quite the character, huh?" Wally said with a cheeky little grin.

"A wild contrast if you compare to Brendan. A good balance if I may say." Norman humored his pupil to a short grin and then changed his expression back to its normal tone; moving his legs back to their previous position. "Now that she is gone." He looked at Wally with dead serious eyes, his voice becoming more demanding than ever before. "Care to tell me what really happened? And don't try to soothe anything out of it. Remember that I can't tell when you're lying."

"Ahh… Why did I know I was not out of the hook yet?" Wally chuckled again, now a more nervous one. He knows that even if his master is now much more composed and calm than he was a few minutes before, Wally still has a long way to go before satisfying the man's curiosity on the events of this morning. Sadly to the young trainer, he can't get away with just an 'I love him', as Zinnia did.

* * *

One last hurdle lies conquered on his way to his freedom and it has been little more than a few minutes since he has been awake… alive. A little dizzying feeling still lingering inside his head, as he casually glanced back to the cold waters of the calm sea; and this coldness remains on the surface of his skin, sending short little jolts up into his entire body.

"It is… so warm in here." He ran his left foot on the dry sand, digging a little hole with his innermost toe. The warm sensation bringing a coy little smile to his lips, he very much enjoys the feeling, the warmth of this place. A long, sincere, sigh came out of his mouth as he closed his eyes and casually sat down, his bareback laying against the rough surface. He frowned right after, a vigorous click of his tongue sounding out, as the wholesome of his enjoinment got soured by those pest little sand grains threatening to go up in his business right at the back.

"Sand can be quite intrusive, isn't it?" An unfamiliar deep voice came from behind, making the long-brown haired man turn suddenly and give to the friendly looking elder man, a piercing investigative glare. "They are getting up there, right?" He chuckled softly as he motioned in an obscene way with his little finger.

Blue and red locking down on the elder' figure, as the young man studied this newcomer with an intrigued curiosity. "I like it here more than in the water. Can't drown in here." He replied normally, running one hand down on the ground and grabbing a handful of the golden grains. "But it sticks and crawls onto you… Annoying." He hurled the sand out onto the water, scowling like an irritated child.

"Haha, I concur. Sand can be quite annoying." The older man, with the looks of a retired angler, sat down on the sand himself, although a few paces behind the youngster. "Luckily my clothes help in keeping most of it away…" He eyed the pale form of the young man, shaking his head on the strangeness of it all. "Say, what happened to your clothes?"

This simple question got to him. Brendan looked down to his own body, he noticed his chest bare for the sun' light to touch and his other parts completely in view for anyone to see. "I don't know…" He replied with a tilt of his head, his eyes focusing on nothing more than the going and coming of the waves, they clashing against the massive pillars of stone in the distance. "I remember… being attacked by a man… We fought, he pulled something out of me and then… I was there." He raised one arm and pointed at the ruined cave at the left. "Water everywhere almost drowned before getting out… Now, I am here; like this."

"That is quite freaky. I had my fair share of bad people in my time, but none kidnaped me and strapped me out of my silk…" Seeing no lies or deception on the odd-looking young man, this elder could not help himself but feel sympathy for this poor soul. "Did this man… do something to you?"

A humming sound came from Brendan, he scratched his nape and turned to look at the other man. "Did something? Like what?" He asked plainly, clearly not getting the undertone behind the elder's words.

With an uncomfortable cough, the grizzly man rubbed his left cheek with one finger, a faint little embarrassed tint showing on his face. "Well, you are naked as pearl out of its shell. Didn't this person... you know… touch you in some places?'

"Hm…" Pressing the tip of his right index finger on his lips, Brendan gave a long thought to the idea. His eyes blinking a few times as he seemingly reached a conclusion. "I guess he did, or someone did. I don't remember taking my clothes out." He stood up, much to the older man' surprise and even more embarrassment. With his long brown hair sticking on his back, wet after his little ordeal, he did a simple spin. "I feel fine though." A little innocent grin appeared on his face as he faced the other man again.

"If you're fine… that is all that matters now." Hesitant at first moment, the old man decided to share a bright and wide smile with his new acquaintance. "So, young naked friend. What's your name? Mine is Jhern by the way."

"Nice to meet you Jhern. My name is Brendan." In response, Brendan showed an even wider and brighter smile, the sincerity and beauty of his face practically overshadowing his treasures right in view.

Mesmerized and baffled by the simplicity of the youth, Jhern raised himself from his spot and nodded friendly. "Hm, nice to meet you too Brendan." The old man glanced to one side and then to the other, he scratched the back of his neck somewhat uncomfortable as he approached the naked man. "You know, young man, I can help you with your… predicament. Ah… if you don't mind, of course."

"I don't mind… but why?" Brendan's gaze focused at the man, the pure look in his eyes shifting to a more cold and calculating one. "Why are you helping me?"

"My ma taught me to help anyone in need and she taught me well." A simple little grin crossed Jhern lips. "And my Martha would kill me if she gets winds of me finding a naked kid in distress and leaving him to his woes."

Again, Brendan lowered his head for a moment, poising his finger on his lips again and pondering. "Then I appreciate your help, Jhern." He bowed slightly, showing genuine gratuity for this person' generosity.

"Bah, don't get too formal on me Brendan. Simple folk always help each other." Shooing away the embarrassment between then, the old man waved one hand motioning for the youngster to step closer. "Here, take this. We wouldn't want you waltzing in the city naked as a Machop." Jhern slid his arms out of his long red vest and tossed it to his new acquaintance. "Tie the sleeves on your waist; that should do the trick."

As the old man said, Brendan wrapped the long sleeves around his waist, and the vest cozily hides his frontal parts… but his butt is still naked as it was before.

"Eh… Close enough, I guess?" The man said with an unsure tone and Brendan just shrugged, clearly not minding the result. "Follow me. We will get you something that fits in my house." Jhern pointed to Lilycove and began to walk in the city' direction. The now almost naked youth, eyed the city on the background, ogling the buildings detail with a certain fixation in his gaze, then quickly dismissed them and paced after the old angler.

* * *

The sound of the front door creaking itself open caught the attention of the tired old lady. She closed her crochet magazine and placed it on the large wooden table in front of her, she then slowly slid out of her chair, her legs making low snapping sounds as she put the weight of her body onto them.

"Jhern, how did your strolling go?" She asked with a sweet voice. Even if her old husband has left the house for less than a day, her heart still flusters with the thought of monopolizing the old angler all to herself. To the woman' surprise, as she turned the corner of her living room, getting a view of the little entrance hallway, she saw her adored husband together with a dashing young man, wearing only the uniform vest of her husband, wrapping at the height of his waist.

"It was normal for the most part, but got somewhat unusual as I was getting back home." He pointed to his new friend, and smile. "Found a stray kid, haha." Jhern stepped aside and raised one arm toward his wife. "Brendan, this is my lovely wife Martha. Martha, this funny guy here is Brendan."

"Hi." Brendan waved his right hand, giving a simple grin in greeting.

"Hello there Brendan." She walked closer to the hall, stopping right next to her husband. "Oh… What happened to you, sweetie?"

"The sand!" His response came with unusual enthusiasm. "It was warm and cozy, but then it started to stick onto me." He turned around and showed his sandy butt to her. "Look! It is everywhere."

"Oh goodness me!" Martha went from pale white to complete red. Her eyes flashed down to his lower cheeks for only a moment and the image served to race the poor old woman' heart. She turned to the side, covering her face with both hands.

"Hey there! No flashing your butt to my wife." Jhern said in reprehension; however, he barely held the laughter in as Martha clung onto him, mortally embarrassed of the scene. "Love, as you can see. Our friend here is in dire need of clothing and he has the sense of shame of a little toddler."

"Well, that is a problem…" She carefully spread her fingers, clearing her view again. However, thankfully Brendan is back to his normal stance, staring curiously at her. "You have some old clothes to spare, don't you darling?"

"Think they will fit him?" Jhern looked back at Brendan and scratched his head. The youngest is clearly taller and more well built that he is or was even on his best days.

"Some have to fit. They loosen up with time, let me get some." She took four steps in the living room and then stopped, turning to look at them. "Let poor Brendan take a shower as I prepare something for him." With that said, Martha strolled over to a room at the back of the house.

"What you say?" Jhern asked with a raised brow.

"Shower?..." He asked a bit lost. Then a violent jolt ran inside Brendan's head. His eyes losing focus of the room around him and another one suddenly taking its place. He was not on Jhern's house anymore, instead, he was standing on his own living room, preparing to take a cold shower, because… because of someone… He can't picture it. The image of a woman of tanned skin and alluring red eyes flashed before him, making his heart beat faster and stronger.

"You okay there kid?" The old man eyed him worriedly.

"I… would like one. Thank you." The youth responded as if nothing had happened. Brendan rubbed one hand at his right cheek and frowned after feeling the sand again.

"Hahaha, you really don't like sand, huh? Anyway, follow me. The bathroom is just at the end of the hall."

* * *

"So you don't remember how you got here?" Martha asked, her eyes locking on Brendan's figure with a bit of sadness and pity on them. "Poor thing. That must have been terrifying. To almost drown after waking up."

"In truth, my head is all fuzzy right now…" Brendan tilted to the side. After taking his quick hot shower, he is now wearing the clothes the old couple so generously provided to him. A pair of purple long sweatpants and a navy blue long-sleeved shirt, with the words 'I love my wife' knitted right on the chest-height of it. "I remember who I am, and most of what I lived until now, but… Something is escaping me, I feel this urge to go out there and do something, yet I don't know what it is."

"Hm… this kidnapper person really hit you hard in your head." Jhern said. He is holding two fingers on his chin, thinking with his eyes closed. "But you do remember most things right? What about your family?"

"Yes! How couldn't I?" The brown-haired youth looked at Jhern somewhat offended by the question. "Father and Mother, both alive… but no brothers though." His shoulders deflated and his gaze went to the floor. "They're living in another region. I spend most of the days working or by myself."

"Oh, so you do have a job?" Martha asked simply. "Could you tell us?… I'm kind of curious, hehe." She is curious all right; curious in what kind of job this clueless person can perform.

"I don't mind." Brendan nodded at her, showing a short grin to the sweet old lady. "I am the Pokémon-"

"Ooii, Grandma, Grandpa! Are you two home?"

"We brought some sweets."

A pair of siblings barged inside the house, they nonchalantly walked into the living room, waving a cotton bag on their hands. The twins are; a teenage boy of short light-brown hair and sharp green eyes, he wears a cool set of dark blue clothes, with yellow flames at the tip of the sleeves. His sister is a girl of light-brown hair, cut short on the left side and somewhat long on the right one, she has the same eyes as her sibling and wears a very similar set as him with hers being a lot more feminine.

"Hey, you two. Why didn't you guys respond when we called?" The male twin looked over to his grandparents, placing one hand at his waist.

"Sorry Jin, we were so engrossed with our guest here, that we didn't notice you two coming in." Jhern said with a big grin, the man always loved his adorable kids' visits.

"Sheesh, what was that?" The girl skipped her way from the hall onto the big table, she was ready to open her arms and pounce at the old angler, but as soon as her eyes landed on the guest, her body froze up on its spot.

"Lin?" Jin stepped next to his frozen sister. "What's the matter with yo-" And as his eyes traveled to the same spot, the young guy froze next to her Lin. The twins staring at the young man with their mouths agape.

"SO HANDSOME!"

"THE CHAMPION!"

Both of them screamed as loudly as they could, almost shaking the foundations of the house. Noticing the discrepancy on their words, the twins looked at each other with a frown on their faces.

"What is this crap about handsome?" Jin blurred out.

"Why else? Look at him." Lin replied, glanced back to Brendan and melting over his curious gaze.

"The one and only guy standing above us is right here in this house and all you care is about his face?" The boy spat out with disgust. "Have some pride as a Pokémon trainer."

"I have my pride, I tell you that." Lin glared at her brother, her eyes flaming with rage. Then she looked back at Brendan, putting up the face of an angel.

The three other people inside the house could only watch as the twins reacted more extremely than the other did. Jhern tilting his head in confusion, with his wife giggling happily with their antics.

"You two know our friend Brendan here?" The older man asked.

"Of course we know!" They responded in unison.

"He is the Pokémon League Champion!" Jin said, pointing one finger at the man. "To beat this person on a battle is my life goal."

"Oh, you are him?" Martha looked to her side, somewhat shocked with the revelation. "You're the brave young man that saved Lilycove from that huge monster."

"Am I?" Brendan responded with a question of his own. "He furred his brow, biting his lips as he searching in his head. His left eyes flared up with a strange glow, the sudden change unsettling the older couple and amazing the young twins. "The monster… Groudon?"

"Yes, that was its name." Martha clapped her hands together. "The folk in town spent the entire day talking about this Groudon creature and the young man that stopped it." She looked at the brown-hared beauty and smiled. "Yes, they said his name was Brendan. The Champion of Hoenn… I never wrapped on my head..."

"That the naked clumsy kid would turn out to be the hero everyone is talking about." Jhern looked over to his new friend and nodded, a soft smile appearing on his face.

"NAKED?!" Lin jumped right next to her grandpa. "What is this about?"

"Haha, you missed it. I found this guy on the shore, sitting buck naked on the sand." Jhern felt the disappointment on his little girl' eye and a sonorous laugh escaped him. "I brought him home to settle him with some clothes." He pointed to the big 'I love my wife'. "See?"

"Noooo…." Lin fell on her knees, making one hell of a drama as she laid on the cold floor.

"Aarrg, stop with this already…" Jin slapped one hand at his face, more than embarrassed by her sister' ridiculous behavior in front of his… well, their idol.

"Groudon… I can't feel him, why?" A faint whisper escaped Brendan' lips, so low that no one noticed his words. He closed his eyes, concentrating as much as he could and a little string pulled from his chest. The glow faded away from his right eye, returning to its 'normal' red color. "Kyogre?" This time he said the name loud and clear, as he stood up and looked over to the entrance hall.

"What is the matter, Brendan?" With a calm voice, the old angler asked as Brendan began to walk slowly away from the table.

"I have to go… I have to see someone." Brendan responded without properly looking to the older man.

"At this hour?" Worried sick for his sake, Martha glanced at the side window. Her eyes met the dark glow of the night coming in, only aggravating the issue.

"I will be fine." Brendan finally turned around, showing the most sincere and bright smile he had ever mustered. Even poor Jin found himself blushing at this sight. "Thank you all for helping me. I will never forget this." With one last waving of his right hand, the young champion of red and blue eyes, walked out of the house closing the door carefully behind him.

"AH, Wait! our battle!" Jin yelled in panic.

"Don't goo…" Lin, on the other hand, sobbed with her right cheek pressing against the floor.

"What a strange person…" Jhern looked at the empty hall, wondering if they will ever meet each other again.

* * *

Contrary to the better judgment of any sane person, Zinnia is still in her search for a loose lost champion. She has been on this task for the majority of the day, flying across Hoenn on the back of her most-trusted dragon, Salamence. The poor blue dragon is more than tired after flapping his wings the entire noon, but his own pride makes him hide this fact as much as he can from his distressed trainer. The draconid woman after almost losing her mind for not finding the only person she wants to see right now decided to go back to the place where she last saw him, a faint little hope that he for some reason would still remain on the shores of Lilycove, waiting for her.

With a less than ideal approach to his landing, Salamence clashed down on the middle of a street. Scaring the spit out of the people around them.

"I know I worked you too hard today…" Zinnia rubbed her hand on the dragon's head, the touch of her fingers making him growl softly. "I promise I'll make it up to you, big boy." Patting him on the head once more, she pulled one Poké-Ball out of her pockets and called the dragon back.

Immediately after, her eyes scanned all around, looking for her stupid lover. Sadly, she found no such luck this time either. However, her sights landed on a man that is peacefully watching the going and about of the city.

"Hey, excuse me but I'm in a hurry here." With a not to friendly wank of her arm, she pulled an innocent bystander that was enjoying a warm sandwich, sitting on a bench outside his house. "Have you seen a man about this tall, with long brown hair and a very pretty face?" Her hands going all wild with motions as she tried to picture Brendan's features to this person.

"Oooh, I know that person." The man responded with unusual cheer, not minding at all that his poor lunch has crashed onto the ground. "The Champion of Hoenn, everyone is talking about him." He nodded twice, humming approvingly. "Goodfella that one. Saved us all from a giant monster."

"So you saw him?" She grabbed the man other' arm and began rocking the poor soul back and forward.

"Y-Y-Yeeess. We all saw him coming out of the cave with the rich-looking man." His voice stuttered quite a lot as his head bobbed all around. "But it has been far long since they left. They played a small flute and a big blue flying Pokémon came from the sky and carried them away."

"A rich-looking man?" The image of a blue-haired snob jerk appeared in her head. "Tsk, when did HE get here?" She said more to herself than to the man she is holding, as her eyes are more on the background than the person' features.

"Ahhh... Lady… Could you let me go?" The man quietly protested, tapping her left hand as tactfully as he could.

"Ooooooiiiii! Stop running away!" A very familiar voice stormed loudly on Lilycove. The sweet tone of this voice, making the draconid woman drop the man in her hands and the interest she had on in him. In a rapid sweep of her leg, she turned her body around with her eyes sparkling with anticipation. However, this time she found way more than just disappointment.

With a distressed face and a waving warm, Brendan is running down the main avenue of the city; running ahead and away from him is panicked Linoone, holding tight to a large piece of leaf in his mouth. Both trainer and Pokémon dashed past the woman, they all si immersed in their little chase to give any thought to the civilians on their way.

She yelped, jumping at the chance to run and grab her lover by his arm. And oh she did, she clung onto his arm as her life depended on it. "Wa-wait! Brendan!"

"Wah?! What you're doing lady?!" He shouted, startled by the touch of her hands. But he barely gave her a moment of his glance to the desperate girl before looking back to the running little Pokémon. "Ah! He got away… Why did you do this?"

"Brendan… it's me." Zinnia felt a stinging sensation in the inner corner of her eyes. She detached herself from his arm only to wrap her arms even tighter around his body. "Can't you recognize me?"

Another session of violent rushing memories erupted inside his head, as painful and irritable as the others before. Despite the insufferable pain echoing on his entire being, Brendan found in himself a desire of enduring this pain; endure all of it without showing any signs of its existence, for what reason? He doesn't know.

Like any other of those episodes, the pain faded away. A calming and relaxing sensation washing out his discomfort. Memories of the days he spent together with a special someone, her face, her face, her scent… Everything returning to him as natural as they could.

"Zinnia…" With his words coming out with pure tender on them, Brendan pulled the girl closer and embraced her as tight as she is embracing him. "How could I ever forget about you?"

"Heh, if you ever forget about me. I will just have to make you follow me all around Hoenn again until you remember." She smiled as she said that. Any reason or motive to be angry with this man suddenly vanished from inside her mind. For Zinnia, the only thing that matters now is having Brendan at her arms' length.

"Gosh! Is the Champion himself." The man, who before was lazy and peaceful as a Slaking, had now jumped out of that bench of his, with his eyes dazzling with the sight of their hero. "Mister Hero, please take a seat with me."

"Hero?" Another bystander magically appeared from around the corner of the street. Moreover, they were not alone. With the man's initial subtly hysterical commotion, as if his words had echoed on every house of the city, more and more people began to come closer in hopes of seeing the champion from up close.

"Oh no, you don't!" Zinnia stomped one of her foot at the ground, angrily glaring at the man and at the incoming crowd. "Brendan." She pulled herself away from him but grabbed one of his hands in the process. "Let's get out of here."

"But what about the Linoone, he went the other- Gaah!" Brendan could not help but yelp as she yanked his arm forward, practically dragging his body with her. In his first reaction, the young man of red and blue eyes glared at her with an utterly annoyed scowl. But seeing her back, as they both ran away from the mass of adoring fans, quickly warmed him up; making a huge smile appear on his face.

They ran and ran and then ran some more. The lights of Lilycove was left behind on their trail, making their path more darkened but still illuminated by the lights of many, many stars up in the sky. In her blind escape, Zinnia guided them both onto the thick forest at the region of Route 121. Despite her bold charge onto the unseen, they got lucky enough to jump out of a path of tall grass right into a clearing, home to some petit and shy Pokémon and of course to the full light-shower of the starry sky.

"That… That should get… them out of our tails." Gasping heavily and out of breath, Zinnia leaned against a large tree, slowly sliding down and sitting on the short clean grass. For the first time over this whole ordeal, she properly looked at her boyfriend and what a surprise she got. "Brendan, something happened to you?" Her eyes first glanced down to the very outdated pants he is wearing, then raised up to the purple showy shirt adorning his chest, oh and especially on the words knitted on it. "This outfit… is ridiculous."

"You think?" He looked down to himself and shrugged. "I kinda liked it. At least I ain't plastered with sand again."

She waved up to him, calling him closer; and so he came. Casually, innocently, Brendan sat right next to Zinnia. He looked at her a couple of times, blushing for no reason, and decided to avert her gaze all together, instead, focusing on his feet that are somewhat sore and pinching after walking through grass with bare skin.

"If you say so… Anyway, why were you running after a Linoone?" She nudged her elbow on his arm, picking his attention again.

"The little trickster knows where my ball is." He picked a pinch of grass out of the ground; he felt the scratchy texture of the plants taking them really closer to his face like a curious little child. "But when I asked, he just ran away like a crazed thing."

"Your ball?" Zinnia looked at him with a raised brow, not really getting how or why this would make sense.

"Yeah, my ball." Brendan double down. He took his eyes back to her, furrowing his forehead as they locked gazed with each other. "It's about this size, clean blue like the sea at day, oh and feels really smooth to the touch." He nodded in approval after his account, apparently satisfied with what he said.

"Brendan… are you feeling okay?" The bronze-skinned girl eyed her lover with a worried expression, the look in her eyes unsettling him, making Brendan avert his gaze away from her again.

"Sorry…" His face fell and his shoulders deflated. "It seems I am confusion everyone I talk to today." A soft little pout came to his lips, his face showing a lot of disappointment on himself. "Ever since I got on that beach, my head is all fuzzy. Forgetting and remembering things at left and right… I'm sorry for being like this."

Her left hand instantly went up to her chest. She held onto her shirt, biting down her lower lip in frustration, in… pity. "It's okay, Brendan. I'm here now." Zinnia skidded to the side, leaning her head against his right shoulder. "No matter what, I am here for you."

In response to her tenderness to him, Brendan's body frozen to a stiff. His eyes looking down at her with his face in a blank state. And his eyes, not only their colors but also how they feel… It was all wrong, Zinnia took a long time to notice, but somehow, Brendan's feels like a completely different person.

"You know, Zinnia." Brendan broke away from his silence, life coming back to his expression. "When I came to be… again. I had this feeling, this sense of desperation, the thirst for something that I had no idea what it was." He held one hand on his neck, frowning as he caressed his own skin. "It was suffocating, an ever going pain that never went away. Someway, somehow, I needed to find this… thing I desired so much."

Many questions popped in her head, and Zinnia always had a hard time in her life keeping her mouth shut about something that is bugging her. Despite that, she found some restraint to just stay calm and listen to his words.

Some stray tears appeared on his eyes, the droplets rolled down his cheek, his attention coming right back to the woman's face. "But now… touching you… holding your hand." He casually wrapped the fingers of his right hand with her left one "I don't feel that pain anymore. For the first time, I feel... truly, good." His lips quivered as he was about to break down. In a matter of seconds, Brendan went from completely oblivious and calm, to the verge of crying. "Tell me… What is this?"

The glittering glow of a few tears also appeared on her beautiful red eyes. Zinnia felt herself out of words and out of breath. Brendan's sudden confession took her world and twisted all up. They had shared way than a few passionate and affectionate exchanges, however… Brendan or Zinnia had never opened up to one another like that. Seeing his face; so gentle, so touched… it melted her heart thousand times over.

Taking his face onto her free hand, Zinnia pulled him closer and pecked his lips with a quick but very warm kiss. "Whatever it is… I feel the same way." She kissed him again, this time more deep and lovingly. Her tongue parting his lips just enough to go inside his mouth, meeting with his own wet one, they began to dance in a tone of their own, pulling and pushing. Losing minutes in their fondness, she finally parted away from his lips, but just enough to take some air and look in his mysterious yet charming odd colored eyes. "I will never leave you alone… Okay?"

He smiled, the feeling of her breath on his face making the young man close his eyes in pleasure. "Okay…" He said shyly.

In their utmost need of each other, their thirst for their lover's warmth. The couple wrapped themselves into a passionate embrace, kiss after kiss sounded quietly on the forest. For all night, they had all they needed... Not one of them was willing to part away from the other. A pure and sincere act of love was in the makings on this quietly, star lightened woods… However, the consequences of this act are sure to catch up to them… Both of them.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	18. A Mistake?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _I just want to make a fact clear, since I guess I didn't make it clear on the story itself, my bad. Drendan, D-Brendan, *His real name that I still haven't revealed yet* - is Deoxys. He is/was Deoxys, now completely changed with not only Brendan's DNA but also memories. So there will be not a second or third one._

_Oh and a quick word about some of the parts on this chapter. Well, I wanted to take a specific turn or you can call route, with this story. But I was a bit afraid of doing so, because some people cannot like that among other things. But hey, I decided to take a nose-dive and do it anyway, so I hope I don't upset a lot of you with this decision._

* * *

A faintly annoying pain ached on Silver's left side, he tried to adjust a little better on his seat, moving his back to a more comfortable spot, and sadly, it did little to ease his sore muscles. It has been hours, maybe a day, since he has planted himself inside this room, Ethan's room in Rustboro' hospital.

Right after doing the most stupid and incredible thing the red-haired has ever seen, the brave raven-haired youth fainted on his rival' arms and for all this time he has yet to open his eyes. Silver remained in this room in silent distressing torture he made to himself, he can hardly look at his partner's face, yet he refuses to look away, he cannot look away…

"Stupid…" Silver mumbled quietly to himself.

Brushing a long lock of red hair from his right eye, he leaned forward again on his seat; most likely the reason for the soreness on his back, and placed his right hand on top of the sturdy casket on Ethan's left arm.

A curious looking Weavile paced quietly at the other side of the bed. The small cheeky Pokémon carefully watched her master as he fawned over the other' man resting body.

Silver gazed downwards, his scarlet hair raining down over his face again. "Stupid…" He whispered the words again, this time a little bit louder. Louder enough to get a stir out of his rival's still body.

"This… was not the reward I had in mind…" Ethan's voice came out ragged and tired. Nothing strange considering the situation he had put himself in. "Lugia…?"

In a sudden jolt of his head, Silver looked upwards. Red met gold in their trade of glances, an unwittingly smile crossed the red-haired' lips. A sincere and glad little grin, which showed more than what he hoped or wanted to show.

Seeing such rare sight in front of him only served to make Ethan smile back in response, although a less bright and warm one, given his state. "Now, that is a better reward." He said in a tease, his innocent smile turning into a smirk, something that managed to push Silver out of his dreaming state and back to his indifferent act. Like a prideful Persian, that has was caught giving to much attention to its owner, He hastily pulled his hand away, hiding it behind his arms as he crossed both in front of his chest.

"Your stupid bird is over there." Silver nodded to a group of six Poké-Balls on top of a small grey nightstand close to the bed.

Minding his heavy and injured arm, the also cocky youth raised his upper body up enough to lean his back against the hard headboard, sadly the pillow didn't go up with him. "Aw… I scared him away." Again, in his teasing tone, Ethan tried to push a little bit more. His rival's reactions never ceased to amaze him and his minor injury that will not deprive him of this pleasure.

"Hmph… I see you're well enough to be making jokes." Silver blurred out a bit harshly, throwing a few daggers in his glare. "And here I was blaming myself…"

"You have nothing to blame yourself over." Ethan responded almost immediately. The provoking tone in his eyes changed, to the sterner and cold gaze he often has. "If anything, I'm in fault for doing something- ahg…" He winced in pain, the side of his back aching with the hard surface pressing against his bruises.

Ethan's pained reaction startled his partner, as Silver almost jumped out of his chair because of it. Swallowing his pride down his throat, the red-haired got up from his large padded-chair and quietly walked next to the bed.

"Hey, you're finally up." A happy looking nurse walked inside the room, carrying a little tray on her hands.

Her ill-timed entrance managed to push Silver three-quarters of the room away from Ethan's bed. The red-haired somehow rested his back against the wall just before the young woman could enter the room properly.

"I was thinking of bringing something for you to eat." She threw a little glance at Silver; her face went a little reddened after receiving a glance back from him. "But your friend is awake now…" She raised the little tray, pointing to the pack of pudding' cups.

A low growl escaped the red-haired lips. "You can give it to him. I'm not hungry." He shifted his attention away from the woman again, playing cool his inner frustration.

"Actually… I'm suuuper busy today. I took a little detour to pick this up." She went over to Silver and handed him the entire tray, and his baffled expression only served to make the nurse giggle as she walked away. "I hope you don't mind helping your friend. He probably can't eat something like this by himself."

"Oh, he won't mind." Ethan jumped in the conversation, curiously finding a sudden energetic disposition.

"Great." She twirled around, sparing her patient a playful little grin. "I'll come to see you boys later." In truth to her statement, the poor nurse dashed out of the room, probably darting to take care of more needing person.

Unreal, was the only word coming onto Silver's head. He eyed the cups with a distressed expression and grimaced after looking over to Ethan. The taunting, yet charming, smirk on the youthful champion is so big that is almost hard to believe that is any pain at all.

"No." Silver said short and dry.

"Aren't you thrilled with the idea?" Ethan tried to stir even more the situation and completely forget about his left arm. An unfortunate mistake, as for when he leaned over to the left side of his bed he almost fell to the ground for being without any support on that side.

A frown followed by a scoff. Silver sat down on his previous seat and casually began to open one of the cups. He peeled the lid open and eyed his partner with a devious face. "Yeah... In your dreams." With that said, Silver sunk the plastic spoon all the way down to the bottom and brought the entire thing over to his mouth.

Horrified and outraged, Ethan pointed his right index finger at his rival and frown. "How evil are you? Where is the sympathy for your poor… well, me!"

Gulping down the sweet mass of brownish delight, the cold-hearted trainer raised the lid over to his lips and gave it a slow and vigorous lick. "This thing is so good… You really should prove some."

"Heartless fiend." A pout, almost as large as the smirk Ethan had used before to tease his rival, appeared on his face.

"Vi." Weavile jumped over from the ground, landing graciously at Ethan's feet. "Vi, vi." She pointed at her trainer, making him raise a brow in response. "Vi vi, vi!" The little dark-blue Pokémon began a long and detailed rant, motioning with her white claws at each big sentence.

"Oooh, did he now?" Ethan looked over to Silver. The smile on his face, the look in his eyes… all translated to the worst possible outcome to the latter.

"Vi." A certain and definitive nod came from the little trickster.

"Wow… I don't know what to say." Wiping a fake tear away from his left eye, the raven-haired trainer eyed his rival once again, still smiling from ear to ear.

On his first thought, Silver pondered if Ethan had bruised his head too much, leaving him delusional. Then a very curious detail occurred to pass on his head. "Wha- You! What did you say?!" In a panicked reaction, he jumped out of his seat, holding the tray in one hand and using the other to point to his traitor little partner.

"Vi, vi." A snarky grin crossed Weavile's face. The little devil just shrugged off and laid back on the soft mattress.

"Dumb? Oh no. I think that is cute." Ethan replied to Weavile, making Silver even more confused for understanding only half of the conversation. Which eventually his rival noticed. "She saying you kept hugging me the entire time when I was asleep." Another playful grin made its appearance. "A clingy Silver all over me… isn't that cute?"

"I- What?! Ridiculous! I would not or never will do something as disgraceful as that. Even more, with you!" An over the top denial did little to favor Silver' claims but was the burning red line on his cheeks that gave him away even more.

"Vi, vi."

"I concur…" Ethan and Weavile shook their heads, almost in unison. Both looking at the Silver with a look akin to; why are you so defensive?

"Gaah, enough of you!" In an impressive display of finesse with his hands. Silver managed to pull the Poké-Ball out of his pocket and call Weavile back without dropping any of the cups from the tray. "And you!" he pointed at Ethan. "Stop with all this flirting with everybody... especially with me. I may have long hair, but I'm not a girl."

"I've never mistaken you for a girl, pretty hard to do that with this voice of yours." He chuckled at his own smart comment. "Anyway, you being a guy doesn't bother me. Life's too short to be thinking about that."

"Ethan… please, be serious for once." A heavy sigh escaped Silver's lips. He eyed his rival with visible frustration. "This type of stuff is not a joke. It is not funny in any way or form."

"I know. Stuff like this is never something to joke about." Ignoring the throbbing pain on his sides, Ethan pushed himself a bit further up in the bed. Not a shred of doubt in his expression. "That is why I'm dead serious when I said this."

By this point, Silver was expecting a sonorous laugh coming from Ethan, and then he would point his finger at the red-haired and boast of how he was made a fool again. However, instead of denying or playing as a joke, Ethan' straightforward words made an even greater impact on the mood around them.

Receiving no response, other than a cold glare, Ethan brought his right hand to his forehead and calmly rubbed it in a manner to calm his own temper. "On those days where we battled against each other on every corner of Johto. What days, huh?" Feeling a bit of good nostalgia, his lips parted away just slightly. "Despite jumping at my throat at any chance you got. There are some things you didn't, and still, don't know about me."

Silver's impassive and unease eyes flickered with a warmer look. Remembering those ridiculous stunts he pulled just to get under his rival's skin, made him open himself a bit more to the conversation. He hummed, ever so quietly, as asking Ethan to continue.

Therefore, he did. "After hearing about this mythical Lord of the Seas and getting a fabled Silver Wing. Hah, I almost lost my head." Ethan eyed the pack of Poké-Balls to his side, particularly the purple one. "I went there as fast as I could. Like a frenzied beast, I battled each swimmer and wild Pokémon that got in my way. Took little more than half a day to reach the Whirl Islands." A faint little pain ran wild inside the champion's body, not a fresh one from his recent injuries, no… An old scarred one. A familiar pain that will always haunt his memories. "This happened before I had met Ho-oh."

"Before?" Silver asked, willing to break the silence he imposed himself. "But, didn't you capture Lugia, because Ho-oh asked you to do it?"

"Exactly." Ethan's voice came cold, drenched in a dreadful tone. "I battled Lugia, with everything I got. In the end, only Flames was left standing. Lugia… was a beast, a real monster. I had no idea the size of the trouble I got myself in." A suffocating sensation creeping in, coming from his chest and going up to his neck. It is as if he could feel that torment all over again and way to vivid for just a memory. "In the end, Flames managed to hit him pretty hard. Hard enough to drive Lugia into a furious state. He flooded the cave in a blink of an eye… I barely had time to pull my friend back before everything went dark."

Silver eyed his rival in disbelief. He chuckled, somewhat nervously and defiantly. "The way you're talking is like you died in that place. I'm not talking to a ghost, am I?"

"Heh, no… I'm very much alive." Ethan chuckled back, although a little more disheartened than his friend did. "But I almost did die. Water forcefully flowing inside my mouth, my lungs hurting so bad with the lack of air… I didn't wanted to die, you know?" He caressed the skin of his neck, biting his lips as he did. "I still wanted to beat the elite four. Become the new champion and a real Pokémon master… To battle a very annoying red-haired jerk one more time. I didn't wanted to die there, leaving so much undone behind me."

"Then… How?" Silver asked, even more confused and intrigued.

"I woke up on the shores of a little island, a bit more to the south. No recollection of how I got there, no idea of what happened around me. However, I found a very peculiar feather by my side. Green, white and red." Ethan clenched his right hand in front of him, as the same with the pain, the sensation of holding that feather still very much alive in his body. "That was not only the day Ho-oh saved me and choose me, but it was also a second chance. Now, I never leave anything for later… You never know when something like that may happen again."

The way Ethan spoke and finished his last sentence drove the point straight and directly on the issue Silver was more than glad to drop. But, after hearing all this even someone as collected as Silver cannot simply ignore and turn his face away. Despite his own voice of reason telling him to step away, he pressed forward. "Why… are you telling me this?"

"I'm not stupid. I've noticed the way you look at me." With a not ideal smirk on his lips, Ethan rested his back against the headboard. Even in his almost seriousness, it was impossible for him to contain his amusement over Silver's baffled reactions.

The red-haired, now with his face as red as his long hairs, felt a large lump coming up on his throat. Fear, a dumb fear of uncertainty crept over his sense; yet, he clenched his hands looking for inner courage to propel his own thoughts out. "Are you going to say that you love me?" In this sudden outburst, Silver dropped all masks and roundabout words.

"No. I don't." The response came short and dry. "And let's be honest here, Silver. Neither do you love me. A certain infatuation or something more meaningful, you're the only one that knows for certain." Rubbing his thumb over his lower lip, Ethan carefully considered his next words. "But we don't know each other in that specific way. Love is not something so trivial to flourish out of nowhere."

Even with his strong pose, a part of Silver wished to his little joke question to be answered truthfully. Yet, the answer he received, only served to throw even more shade on the whole thing. "Dammit Ethan, what the hell do you want from me?" He shouted in full frustration. "Why, are you even bringing this forward?"

"Because I like you." Again, simple and short. The Johto Champion has an infuriating way of simplifying any situation. "When you pestered me all around Johto, I hated you more than anything in this world. Nevertheless, I still looked forward to meeting you one more time. Now, getting to know the person behind that cold expression and smug attitude, made all those bad feelings turn into good ones."

Hearing to his own words coming out of his mouth, made Ethan blush deeply red. Something that Silver considered impossible, for someone so shameless to feel embarrassed. Another fact that the stern trainer would never admit, is how much he has grown fond of this invincible façade his partner always wears, but this new look, different from the always confident front, has even more unique charm, a special charm.

The abrupt quietness around them made Ethan even more uncomfortable of his position, never fond of being dumbstruck; he tossed his right arm upwards and began to mess with his hair in a forced attempt to cool down. "Braaah, Anyway… What I want to say is that I'm here…" taking a long breath, he finally calmed himself enough to lose the hot tint form his cheeks. "You just need to extend your hand and I will reach out to you as well."

"Seriously…" Silver dropped the tray on one of the large seats. He raised a hand to his face and shook his head quietly. "It's maddening to keep up with you and your antics."

"Your answer?" Ethan asked. He eyed his partner with apprehension and a bit of excitement, a thrill of making such a turn in everything around them.

"I… Hah… What the hell type of question is that?" Another heavy sigh came, then a quiet little chuckle. Silver leaned over to the silver tray and pulled one of the cups out of the pack of puddings. "For now… Let's just start with this." Carefully sliding his fingers over the top, he slid the cup open and walked right next to Ethan' bed.

"Oh… so now I get some pudding?" The raven-haired youth said playfully. "Took me talking about my past and basically declaring myself to you to get some damn pudding?!"

"Don't want the pudding?" Silver dipped the spoon in the cup, threatening to take a bite himself.

"Stop! I want pudding!" Ethan practically rolled over his bed, barely not dropping down on the cold floor. The desperation in his face kicking in some sadistic part inside of Silver, as the red-haired relished about the situation. He grinned and waved the spoon in the air, the poor champion whimpering and eying the pudding.

'Maybe… just maybe. Something like this could be good.' Silver genuinely smiled, a rare occasion. Having teased his rival for long enough, he properly feed him a piece of that sweet and delicious pudding.

* * *

An officer grunt stepped inside their new improvised meeting room. Although is just a temporary arrangement, this place is a lot similar to the enforcer's previous main room. "Ma'am, most of the re-organizing tasks have been completed." With a few drops of sweat running down his cheeks, the man flipped over a couple of pages in his clipboard, giving an assuring nod as he confirmed the details one last time.

Sitting on the bigger chair around the round table is the mature looking blond enforcer. In the absence of her master, Leyla has taken over the ownership of the big chair and the reins of every member in Hoenn. "Any incidents to report?" With a charming glance, she shifted her attention to the man. Just the fact that she spared him the time to look at him was enough to make the poor grunt blush and even get a bit teary eyed.

"N-no, ma'am." He gladly responded. "We made sure to only move things at night or at that intense sandstorm. No soul knows about our existence here."

"Hm… that is pleasing to hear." She responded with a sweet humming sound. "Anything else dear?" The grunt shook his head a couple of times, yet failed to get the hint at first. It was until she waved with her hand that he finally salute and walked away.

A thunderous thumbing sound came from the other hallway, on the other side of the door, then a helpless yelp.

"Are you blind?!" Raz irritable voice stormed out in the commotion.

"Eeehhkk! I'm so sorry sir." The same officer grunt screamed in panic.

"Whatever, you wimp. Get out of my way." In his apparent eternal state of anger, Raz stomped inside the room. As his eyes landed on the blond woman, he cooled off his angered face, but just enough to not anger the woman herself. "Only you here?" He asked. His voice is much more tame than before.

"Unfortunately." Leyla sighed, resting her chin over the back of her hands. "Scarlet is out on a mission of her own."

"The boss?" Raz took a sit on the far another side of the long desk, getting as much space as he can for himself.

"Oh, we received a brief report over from their side." She rested back on her chair. With her right hand, she pushed a thin orange file over the desk to her muscled comrade. "They have arrived at the target location. And I believe Josh has already made a huge scene… always so eager that one, huhuh."

"Bah… that Josh. I don't trust him." Raz spat out. "The things he does… are way too fucked up. Even for me."

"Hm?... I didn't take you for a soft heartened guy." Leyla looked at Raz with a dark amusement in her eyes. "Scared of hurting anyone?"

"Don't even try to stir shit up. I respect you a lot, Leyla. But I will not hold my tongue if you try to be funny." The big enforcer stirred in his seat, crossing his arms together in front of him. "I ain't scared of doing what I need to do. But I would never blow a building full of people and If for some reason I ever did something like that… I sure as hell would not be smiling about it."

"Raz, dear. You don't need to love Josh. As long as you both do your parts, everything will be fine." Saying that she eyed him with a cold stare. "Speaking of doing your part… where is it?"

Raz's brows tilted with irritation. Not only was she defending Josh but also looked at him with a superior look in her eyes, something that makes the burly man' blood boil like nothing else. "Doubting me now? Pssht, here! Chew on this crap." He pulled a vibrant blue orb out of his desert jackets pockets and rolled it over the table.

Leyla grasped the orb with her right hand, looking fairly closely at its strange engraved pattern on the middle of its round shape. "Did you find Rush?" She asked without taking her eyes away from the object.

"I Found the boy, quite easily actually." He grunted in discomfort. "I got the orb from his cold hands at the bottom of the ocean... I really hated his guts, but I took no joy in seeing him like that."

"Oh… Rush, dear… such a shame." Leyla closed her eyes for a moment, embracing the orb close to her voluptuous chest. "But the mission still remains. We will proceed as planned and pave the path for our master' plans."

"True enough. Nothing we can't do about the boy." He said, interestingly enough, with a weigh of respect in his words. "But, do we really need to get cramped inside such a shitty place?" He ran one hand over the red line that is his hair, droplets of sand falling over and even clinging onto his fingers.

"Your dissatisfaction is more than enough to prove how right my decision to stay here is." Leyla responded. Her soft jab at him making the man growl quietly and turn his face away. "This is not a vacation, remember. The furthest away from unwanted attention, the better. So this hellish desert is more than perfect for this base."

"You may be right…" Raz said, still frowning and snorting. "But still is way shittier compared to the beach. Stupid fucking kid, barging on our door like he owns the world."

"Huhu, Raz, my dear. In Hoen… that man owns the world. That is why; we need to take everything away from him, all while scheming from the shadows. He won't see us coming again, not until is too late." She raised the orb against the light coming from the ceiling and smiled. "We will take all, and not only Hoenn, no. The entire world will belong to us."

"Maybe… But taking over Hoenn. Ah… that will feel especially nice." Raz' lips parted in a grim and wicked smile. "I will make him pay for that humiliation…. And when he kneels before me, crying in misery. That… will make me laugh."

* * *

Another restless night, another day without proper sleep. It has been days since Brendan lay down and properly rested. Yesterday, which his sudden shutdown, followed the same pattern. These ongoing waves of nightmares are draining him each time more, making the young champion dread each time he has to go to bed.

Again, tired and riled up, Brendan opened his eyes. He stirred to the side, trying to get out of his bed, and then noticed that he was not in his room, not in his house.

"Are you feeling okay?" Steven's concerned voice came from the side. The steel-blue haired scion is sitting on a chair right next to a little table. Tea in one hand and his PokéNav in another.

"Truthfully? I'm feeling like crap… again." Brendan sighed, getting his feet on the ground, sitting up on the long couch. "But I no more voices in my head. That's good."

"So, no angry enflamed beast whispering in your ears?" Steven asked and Brendan nodded. "Well, I see that as a win."

Still a bit dizzy from his troubled sleep, Brendan's eyes took a little longer to adjust to the entire room and light of the day. But as his eyes settled correctly, he noticed a brown luggage-bag sitting next to the door and that made him raise a brow.

"Taking a vacation?" He asked in a friendly and playful tone.

Steven stood quiet. He pondered and mulled over his thoughts, his eyes laying on the brownish object. "I got a call this morning." He said a lot more disheartened than he intended to be. "Remember that friend that I talked about yesterday?"

"The 'close friend' you had in Sinnoh?" Brendan responded more in question than a real answer. He scratched the back of his head, changing his line of sight down to his own feet. "By the tone of your voice, is not something good. Is it?"

Steven dropped his gadget on the table and looked over to his friend again. "Sinnoh was attacked last night. Celestic Town… was burned to the ground." In deep frustration and irritation, Steven clenched his free hand with enough force to make his already pale skin get even whiter.

"Rainbow Rocket?" Brendan felt the same sensation as his friend, in his head, because he let the bad guys get away someone else got hurt.

"It seems so. For all the years I have known Cynthia, she had never… She never asked for help. So stubborn, both of us" Steven scoffed, a nostalgic sad little smile appearing on his lips. "Hearing her voice crackle in our call… that broke my heart, man."

"Steven…"

"Brendan, I will chase those criminals… I will bring them down." With his eyes burning in rage, Steven's words sounded serious… deadly so. "I need to go there, but I can't go to Sinnoh… my father…"

"He is out of danger, and I think you being at his side was very crucial on that delicate phase. But someone else needs you now." Stumbling on his first steps, Brendan walked over to the small table and crouched right next to his friend. "You need to go."

"Can I? Really? What if some of them are still here and then-"

"Then I will handle it." He bopped his close friend on his shoulder and smiled brightly, confidently. "Take your vacation old man and go stay with your friend, leave Hoenn on my hands."

"Old man… that's new." Even with all the pressure and tension mounted on his shoulders, Steven managed to laugh. "I knew I could count on you, Brendan."

"That's what friends are for and we are friends for su-" From the corner of his eyes, Brendan caught a glimpse of a silhouette spying on them from the small window on the left wall. He hastily shifted his eyes to the small opening, and a freezing chill ran down his spine. "HOLY…. WHAT'S THAT?!" He shouted in panic, tumbling down and falling with his back on the floor.

"HE'S HERE!" a conglomerate of voices echoed all at the same time. A ridiculous amount of people are stacking and pressing themselves against the window from outside the modest house; all of them desperately trying to peek inside the house. Sadly, for poor Brendan, in his perspective he could only see a massive shadow with numerous hands and eyes, staring at him with hungry eyes.

"Oh… that. I almost forgot about them." Reacting somewhat too comfortable in the situation, Steven just stood up and walked over to the window, promptly pulling the curtains over it. "Somehow the media found out that you are here and… They have come in droves; I've never seen that crowd so thirst for an interview as they are now."

"About Lilycove? Oh… what a mess." Brendan dreaded the idea of giving two hours of non-stop speech about his tragic outburst.

"Sorry friend, but that is just the tip of the mountain." Walking back and sitting once again on his chair, Steven closed his eyes and sighed. "Yesterday… Mt. Pyre disappeared. To put it correctly, an explosion consumed the entire place."

Brendan's face fell. "What… Is that even possible?"

"Yes… it is. By the account of several witnesses, a battle between Kyogre and a giant silvered flying Pokémon ensued at the top of the mountain." With his fingers twitching, Steven appeared intrigued by some of his thoughts. As trying to convince himself of something, he whispering something under his breath but quickly shifted his attention back to his friend. "I believe that this strange being is none other than Lugia. Johto's Lord of the Seas."

"Why is Lugia here? No, forget about that for now. What does this have to do with me?" Annoying and perplexed, the young champion looked over to the window but saw nothing more than the closed curtain.

"Apparently, you were there." Steven saw his friend twitch with his words, which made him nod, understanding the reaction. "I know, this sounds implausible. However, several people attest to this fact; Hoenn's Champion was present in that battle. In other words, you were there… or someone that looks exactly like you."

"The person who attacked Zinnia on TV Mauville?" Something stirred inside the long-haired youth. That aberration of an incident still lingers inside his mind and his anger over it hasn't diminished a single bit. "This is ridiculous! How can people mistake me by someone else, even with a wig, the differences would be easy to spot."

"On that same day… of the attack on that news channel. I got hold of that footage and watched it, over and over again…" He locked his gaze with his friend's eyes, in an attempt to convene the full seriousness of his words. "Brendan. That was you on that day. Maybe not you, but someone who looks exactly like you, who sounds just like you, and even had the little details of your facial features. All matched."

"I… believe you, Steven. But then what? I was not there, I couldn't be at that place." Wailing his arms in the air, Brendan reasoned his voice. "Then what is this second Brendan?"

Slowly running a finger on his chin, Steven looked over to the side and considered an idea. "A copy… they maybe managed to copy you somehow."

"If they copied me, why would I exact copy be working for them?" Brendan cried out. "Even in my… worst state, I would never work for the same people that hurt… killed, so many innocent people."

"Yet, this Brendan does." Steven said coldly.

"What a mess… what a massive mess." A throbbing head-ache taking form at the side of his head, Brendan sunk his face over his hands.

"Still wants me to go over to Sinnoh?" Steven said with a playful chuckle.

Brendan grunted annoyed. "Whatever this… person is. I'll find them and bring a stop to this." He raised his head, a gleam of determination shining on his eyes. "No more Brendans wreaking havoc on Hoenn, neither me nor this impostor."

"Lugia and Kyogre?" The scion asked, watching carefully for the answer.

"Kyogre… is my duty, just as Groudon is. A duty I neglected for far too long. I guess I got complacent since he never made as many problems as his rival did." He trotted over to the small desk holding the orb and the black Poké-Ball, putting both away, back in his pockets. "Lugia… that is another problem, but a curious one. Why would a mythic beast from Johto come over to Hoenn? That doesn't make much sense, unless..."

"Unless someone is behind his actions. Maybe he is someone's 'duty'." Steven concluded with a small nod.

"True enough. However, one problem at a time. First I will deal with this second 'me', then I will see about Mt. Pyre." Taking a long breath, Brendan changed his mood in a full swing. He smiled at Steven and even patted him on the shoulder. "A lot of work, but I can do that alone. You've something else to do."

"Yes… I have." Steven smiled back. "Still, before you kick me away from Hoenn in a hurry. Want some help with that hungry press crowd?"

"Please, do help." Brendan deflated rather quickly after remembering about the news people outside the house. "I will never get used to giving interviews… imagine to twenty people at the same time."

"Hahah, luckily for you. I have plenty of experience with them." Taking one last sip of his somewhat forgotten tea, now pretty cold tea, Steven put the cup down on the table and stood up. "Come. Let's give them a little show, so they can love you some more."

"Pssht, yeah… a show…" Brendan always hated the spotlight, but sometimes being social and public, is something he has to do. The troubles of being the famous unbeatable Pokémon League Champion.

* * *

At the outskirts of Lilycove, hidden behind the tall brushes and well-spread trees. Zinnia sat quietly next to a large old oak, her back against the tall trunk and her eyes gently watching the figure of her lover, innocently playing or 'talking' with the Linoone from the previous night.

In the midst of his long and not fruitful dialogue with his new furred companion. Brendan turned his head to the side, clearly annoyed at the little Pokémon. Then, his eyes landed on the tanned-skin young man, smiling quietly as she watched them.

"What?" Brendan asked.

"You look so cute doing that." She said with a giggle. "Remind me of when we first met. How sweet and cute you looked back then. Your eyes so innocently staring at me as we meet at each different spot… Now you have the same eyes. I missed that."

"Innocent? More like furious." He scoffed, his pair of blue and red eyes going back to the wild Linoone. "First he said that he knew where my ball was. Now? He has no idea…. Lying little jerk."

In response to the offensive words, the aggravated fur ball launched himself at the young trainer, scratching away with his tiny claws. The little thing squealed and growled, completely vexed with the accusation throw at him.

Brendan wiggled uncontrollably. "Stop that, you liar." They fought at each other, one trying to leave little bite marks and the other trying to rid himself from the harassment.

After a good three minutes of a 'fair' fight between them. Linoone hopped away from his new friend and dashed hastily towards a tall grass.

"I'll get you for that!" Brendan shouted at the tops of his lungs. He shook his hand in the air, clenching his fist as he did that.

The silliness of the whole ordeal made Zinnia burst in a fit of laughter. She couldn't handle how cute her boyfriend was being at this early hour, and only let the loud sound of her laughs guide her away.

"It's not funny… and my feet still hurt." He pouted, dropping down on the grass. With one hand Brendan rubbed the sole of his right foot.

"Ow… my poor Brendan. Being assaulted by nature at every corner." She laughed even more, which earned her a frown from him. "Okay, okay. I will stop making fun of you." She slowly crawled her way next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Will you forgive me, if I get something for you to put on?"

"A pair of shoes would be nice." He responded with a little grin. Difficult for Brendan to keep a straight/angry face when she nuzzled at his back.

"Great! A pair of shoes incoming." Zinnia hopped on her feet and smiled brightly to him. "You wait for me here until I get something in the city. We don't want a huge crowd to follow us again."

With a little whimper as she took her arms away from him, Brendan laid with his back on the grass and smiled. "I'll be waiting then." He said in a sweet and innocent tone, making her heart fluster with so much ease that troubled Zinnia a little bit; if one day he manages to master the art of his pure smile, Zinnia would be done for.

With the widest grin on her lips, she waved at him one last time and darted away to Lilycove at her full speed.

In her uttermost determination to do this quick and get back to where she wanted to be, Zinnia wandered around the little town, making her way the incredibly tall building that is the Department Store.

"Good day, miss. What are you looking for?" A friendly clerk of the common store received the draconid girl with a beaming welcome.

"Looking for sandals or open laced shoes. Masculine ones." She said, almost paying no mind to the working staff and going directly to the visible shelves.

Browsing along with various types of footwear, she grabbed a few in her hands, imagining what would look best on her aloof companion. And of course, she couldn't help herself but giggle at each image of Brendan that popped in her head.

"Look, they're doing an interview with the champion." An overly excited girl cried out loudly. "Yun, Come see it. It's live."

"Oooh, I love him." Another girl dashed fast to the corner, clapping her hands as she eyed the large TV on the wall. "He's with Steven too. Oh, I don't know who I love more."

"Pfft, Brendan is the better one." A third clerk practically manifested herself behind her co-workers.

"Steven is the best." The first one melted herself on top of her desk, her eyes glued at the sight of the blue-haired scion.

Zinnia's interest was picked when they mentioned Brendan's name. Quietly to not take attention to herself, she squinted between some shelves to look at the TV. Her mouth dropped instantly.

'To everyone listening to me… I promise to always give my best to prevent terrible situations like the ones in Rustboro and Mt. Pyre.' Brendan said sternly, looking with a fixated gaze onto the group of cameras. 'That is my word, as Champion.'

Two of the girl squealed with such high-pitched tone at his cool remark, falling even more to the dazzling image of their hero. Zinnia, on the other hand, was confused, conflicted and more than nothing else, she feels sick.

"B-Brendan…?" She eyed his features, his determined Grey eyes and even the man standing right next to him. "There is no mistake… that is Brendan. My Brendan." She clenched her hands on top of her chest. Biting her lips, she looked over to the pair of shoes on her hands. "If that is Brendan… With whom I've spent last night with?"

Two Brendans, two completely convincing Brendans. And one terrible feeling of dread and despair washing over poor Zinnia's mind. However is her choice, however, is her thoughts, she is now stuck with a possible grave problem or/and an even graver mistake.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_

_PS- For some reason, last chapter had a lot more reviews than usual (not complaining xD). So I guess I need to make things a bit more spicy at each chapter from now own so you guys will comment more._


	19. Soft Breeze of Changes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Hey guys, this one will be a shorter chapter so I can ask something to you all._

_Since next chapter is a cornerstone, the end of a phase. Would you guys prefer some more character and world building with more slow paced and concentrated chapters or should I just rush to the point and keep straight with the plot?_

_Please let me know in the comments._

* * *

Holding a pair of dark grey long-legged male boots, Zinnia stood hiding against a tree. She eyed 'Brendan' with unease, scowling as she glared at him.

'Who the hell are you?!' She screamed inside her own head, her fingers twitching uncomfortably. Holding every intention of chocking the answer out of this man, she stepped out of her hiding spot and walked in plain sight. "HEY… you." She started in the right track, her voice roaring loudly and menacing, but it quickly faded out to a tamed tone.

"Hey, you." Brendan replied with a wide grin. He turned around, facing the tanned-skin girl, showing the same Linoone from before, now sitting on his lap.

Zinnia once again melted in front of his eyes, she wrapped her arms around the boots and lowered her head in shame. "Who… are you?" Still avoiding his gaze, she asked the question but in a totally different manner than what she intended.

"Me?" He tilted his head to the side, giving the girl a questioning gaze. "I am Brendan, why?" He smiled as if she was playing a fun game with him. "Who are you?" Brendan asked the same question, but in a rhetorical tone.

A defeated sigh escaped her lips. Any ill intention Zinnia had against this Brendan, quickly vanished away, as quickly as his smiled appeared after he saw her. With a gentle swing of her arm, she threw the boots at him, which landed close to him, at his right side.

"What happened?" She pointed to the Linoone with a nod of her head. "Weren't you guys fighting just minutes ago?"

"He came back." Brendan responded with a gleam. He nuzzled the little Pokémon in a friendly way, taking something akin to a purr out of him. "And guess what? He is taking me over to the place where he saw my ball."

Following the trainer's words, Linoone looked upwards and then onto Zinnia. He nodded quiet energetic, jumping out of his cozy spot between his new friend's legs. Running fast enough to make a dust line follow after him, the furred Pokémon began to circle around Brendan. And Brendan, tired of having his feet pinching with the grass promptly began to put his new pair of shoes, that fitted his size surprisingly well.

"So… you keep talking about this ball and that this little guy knows where it is." She eyed the duo with confused eyes, something clicking inside her head. "It almost sounds like you two were having a normal conversation…"

"That was anything but normal." Brendan crossed his arms and frowned. With a quick glance to the now cooperative Linoone, he sighed. "For some reason, he told me about the ball and then refused to tell where it was… that was so annoying."

Zinnia hesitated at the first moment; this person is already odd enough at it is. However, despite her initial hesitation, she spoke up her doubts. "Eh… Brendan… Can you understand him?"

"Of course I can… Can't you?" He eyes her with a confusion of his own. As if talking with a Pokémon normally is the norm and she is the strange one for not doing so.

She was taken aback with his simple reply. That reaction of his settled the matter; this one is not Brendan. In multiple occasions, Brendan sounded his frustration of not being able to understand what Pokémon have in their minds, and this Brendan, by his own words, can fully understand them.

Without realizing Zinnia has already, backtracked a couple of steps backward, her backside hitting and pressing against the large trunk of a tree. "Brendan… did you remember hitting me?"

This question came out of nowhere and a truly alien concept to Brendan. He cannot see himself bringing any harm to this person, not in a million years. "No. I don't remember that." He frowned in frustration with the thought of touching her in any manner that is not lovingly. "What happened in that town? Ever since you came back, you're acting pretty weird."

"No… nothing happened." Something vibrates in one of her pockets, making Zinnia yelp in surprise. This serving only to make Brendan even more suspicious. She reached over to the pocket and pulled out her PokéNav. Bright blue letters are flashing at the screen, the name made by them sending a slight chill down her spine. 'Brendan?' Zinnia looked over to her device in apparent panic.

"What's the problem?" Brendan asked, making a move to stand up. "Someone is calling you?" He threatened to move over to her side, which forced her to turn off the device and put it back on her pocket.

"No… it's nothing." She gave him a weak smile in reply. "Don't worry; it was just a message from a friend."

"So weird…" He stared at her eyes with deadly cold eyes. Blue and Red gazing at her as if they were looking directly into her soul. "Pfft… Ahahaha, you're really acting weird. So funny." To Zinnia's surprise, Brendan laughed it off.

To make him completely dismiss her behavior, she laughed together with him, a fake and weak one. "Oh, didn't you guys made peace to treasure hunt something?" The draconid woman pointed to the feisty Linoone, already at his wit's end on the sideline.

"Something like that." Brendan looked over to the brown fur ball.

"You sounded very serious about this ball of yours. Why don't you two go find it before you miss this chance?" She gave the idea with a heavy feeling inside her chest, and noticed the disheartened look she received from her 'lover'. "Don't worry. I too have something I need to do. When we are both done, I will come to find you. Okay?"

Brendan still had trouble accepting this deal. He eyed her with puppy eyes, begging without words for her to come with him.

Venting her indecisiveness out of her system, Zinnia walked forward and grabbed Brendan's face with both hands. She ran her right hand upwards, grazing slowly against his long side bangs; ignoring her voice of reason, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Trust me, as I trust you, okay?"

"Okay." He smiled in response, nodding away like an obedient son. "I guess… this is a farewell for now, huh?" He raised one hand onto her face, passionately caressing her cheek. "Thank you for being here for me." Giving away one last bright smile, Brendan turned around and began to march over to the other side of the woods. "Let's go little guy. Treasure hunt it is."

With an exciting long jump, Linooned instantly landed off by Brendan side and walking together with him, the two of them quickly disappeared behind the tall grass and long trees.

Zinnia who remained waving one hand at his direction; fell to her knees as soon as Brendan got out of her sight. "What do I do now…" She held her head with both hands, scratching her nape furiously in frustration.

"That was not lover-boy, was it?" A very familiar voice sounded from behind the tree line at her back.

Zinnia jumped straight to her feet and glared over to the area where a silhouette appeared. "For how long have you been there?" She spat out her question, scowling as she did.

Max stepped out of his hiding spot, holding a troubled expression in his features. "For long enough. Again, that was not him… was it?" He insisted, this time looking at his partner in her eyes.

"No… that was not Brendan." Zinnia bit her lips, finally speaking loudly what she had concluded not long ago.

The unusual investigator looked over to the clean area behind her, trying to see the place where this 'Brendan' has gone. "And you let him leave?" He eyed her sternly, almost judging her decision. He waited for a response but got none as Zinnia shifted her gaze to the grass and remained quiet doing just that. "I take he is not the same person that attacked you in TV Mauville."

She finally responded, giving a weak nod of her head.

"A third one?" Max let out a loud whistle, rubbing his forehead with two fingers in an attempt to shoo away the forming headache. "Again… Why did you let him leave?"

"I don't know… I just don't, okay?!" She vented out, almost raising her voice loud enough to get out of this little clearing. "His eyes… and the way he talks… It was just like…"

"A child." Max cut her off, slightly changing the end of her sentence.

With her mouth open and nothing good to reply, Zinnia stared at her partner in shock. "Oh goodness… That is it." Again, she fell on her knees a new dreaded feeling taking over her. "He reacted just like Brendan… of seven years ago."

"Hm… you said that he is not lover-boy. Yet, claims that he acts just like him." Fiddling around with a little notepad, Max eyed the tanned girl with inquiring eyes. "Wait a minute… did you mistake this variable here with the real one?" Max's eyes widened, a tiny little troublesome scenario popped in his head. 'This scenery, such secluded place… with your loved one…' "Zinnia… what exactly did you do with him?"

She shook her head from one side to the other, digging her nails inside her sun-gleaming black hair "We… slept together…."

"Oh… fuck." Max words resumed pretty well the situation. "I will not comment or judge you in this mistake, but… I suggest you come clean with the real Brendan fairly quick."

"Wha- why?" She pulled her face out of her hands and glanced over to Max.

"Something big happened over in Sinnoh, so the boss himself will come over to Hoenn to deal with the source of the noise." A tired sigh escaped Max. Scratching the back of his head, he raised his sight to the sight and wondered how much things will change. "You know how Looker is. Once he gets here, he will go directly to Brendan and lay everything on top of him. Therefore, I suggest you talk about this… Brendan situation with lover-boy, before you lose your chance."

"This couldn't get any worse… Max, what do I do?" She asked with pleading eyes.

"Dunno." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Never slept with a doppelganger of my wife behind her back." His words despite being true, not for being the truth, stung like a hot iron on Zinnia's back, the shame of her actions hurting more than any other injury she had ever suffered before. "But if you respect him in any way, you should come clean about this stuff, ugly part included. Imagine how worse would be if he ever learns about this from another source."

"Brendan…" Closing her eyes, Zinnia picture the last time she saw Brendan. How agitated he was, how… affected by Groudon he was. Dumping this on him could just as well break him for good. "I hope you can forgive me."

* * *

"Over that ledge?" Brendan pointed over to the other side of the heavy forest. "Do we really need to make this long turn?"

Linoone jumped a bit more assertive, angrily crying out at the trainer's complaints.

"Aggressive Pokémon? Aren't you a wild Pokémon as well?" Taking down his blue and red eyes to the small furball, the trainer frowned. "Quit being such a worrywart." He ignored Linoone's advice and marched forward towards their destination, venturing even further inside the thick grass.

Hissing loudly, Linoone dashed after the stubborn man. The little adventure knows very well why this place is dangerous, himself being a victim of the furious beast that lies ahead.

"Still complaining?" Brendan rolled his eyes, as the small Pokémon bit the side of his pants, trying to drag him back. "The sooner we cross this place, the sooner we will be out." He continued as normal, pushing the grass away with both arms.

From the within the dark woods, a ferocious growl stormed out. The sound of this angered cry, made Linoone crawl sacredly on the ground, hiding his eyes behind his small claws. Even Brendan who was bravely exploring the unknown, jumped backward, startled by the loud enrage voice.

"What the hell is that?" He eyed his sides frantically, the hairs in his arms standing up with so the sudden rise of tension all over his body. "There!" He jolted his head to the left, the stomping sounds alerting him to a massive creature running their way.

From behind the sea of dark green, a flash of blue jumped in front of Brendan. Darkened sharp claws cut from left to right, launching large pouches of grass in the air. Linoone ran away as fast as he could at the sight of the frightening Armaldo. The Wild blue bug flinched to the spot where Linoone where, but seeing that he was long gone, changed his attention to the trainer in front of him.

"Hey… no need to be so angry." Brendan raised both hands, smiling weakly to the angry Armaldo.

In response, the enrage Pokémon jumped forward, lunging one claw towards the trainer. His attacked scrapped the silk of Brendan's shirt, making a long cross lined cut.

"Cut it out, man!" Brendan yelled out. Ducking and dodging, he continued to evade Armaldo's onslaught, which only served to drive the creature even more insane with rage. In this dance of dark claws cutting anything in its path, an unnatural clearing began to form around them; any tall grass and small trees on the way of Armaldo's claw met the same sharp fate.

In an unfortunate turn of his luck, Brendan did a false step with his right foot, slipping over the wet grass below him. Out of balance, he went straight down with his face to the ground, falling with his back turned to Armaldo. The blue angered bug, raised both claws ready to cut the man down without pity.

However, before the decisive blow, a brave low cry sounded from the side. Linoone jumped from the shadow of the trees, landing a solid bite at the blue Pokémon's tail. A cry of pain and a cry of anger echoed inside the deep forest. Armaldo completely changed his focus from Brendan to Linoone, his eyes burning with all intent to slay the annoying little fur ball.

With his agile little legs, Linoone tried to dash away after his stealthy attack, but his small back met the backside of a black sharp claw, sending him forcefully against the trunk of a tree. A pained whimper came from the little guy, he tried to stand up, but his legs gave up from the pain running all over him. Without any option, he only raised his eyes, trembling as he looked to the towering monster in front of him.

"Stand down!" Brendan's voice echoed furiously from behind.

His voice made Armaldo turn back, and glare at the trainer. His claws shining with a dangerous feeling onto them.

"I said… STAND DOWN!" He shouted even louder. Blue and red, began to glow with a furious light. Brendan's eyes flared up with a fit of anger far greater than the wild Pokémon.

In front of those burning eyes, Armaldo stepped back. His huge blue body began to shiver with irrational fear. Terrified of this person, he retracted his claws back and sat down with his face pointing to the ground.

"Ah… ah… For the troubles, you have caused us. You're mine now." Brendan said with a cold voice, a direct command that drove directly onto the Pokémon's mind.

With no Poké-Ball involved, Armaldo felt compelled to obey. The big blue armored bug laid his claws on the ground and bowed his head, completely taken over by Brendan's eyes.

"Good. Now let's go." Brendan took Linoone in his hands and turned his gaze over to the edge of a mountain at the back scenery. "We have something to take back."

* * *

"Figures she wouldn't want to speak with me." He tossed his PokéNav over the table in front of him and sighed deeply. "Zinnia…"

After seeing his best friend off to his own journey, the champion went looking for a little solace at the shambles of his once peaceful life; Brendan flew all the way over Ever Grande City, going to the same restaurant he always went at every morning.

The huge smile on granny Gin's face was unparalleled to anything he has ever seeing coming from her before. Doting on her favorite young trainer, she quickly prepared a whole teapot of his favorite bitter green tea. Of course, she went on a huge rant over the conflicting news about him going on for the past week, also wrapping him tightly on her arms making sure he is unharmed.

Now alone with his thoughts at his favorite hidden corner of the shop, the young champion is taking the privilege of having time to sulk on his own failures.

He dialed over her ID numbers one more time, sadly for him it went straight to an automatic message as if she has turned off her PokéNav or simple blocked him altogether. "If I could go back in time… I would never hurt you." He whispered the words he wanted to tell her, taking them out only to not choke on them.

With a pained expression, Brendan gulped all the tea left in his mug with one go, treating it as some sort of alcohol surrogate. Then, he pulled the teapot over and filled his mug all the way to the top once again, faint steam flying out of the white small mug.

"Having a tough day?" A sweet voice sounded over from the side. Standing next to the table is a cute girl with a small frame and long pink twin-ponytail.

With a shrug of disinterest, Brendan glanced over to her and mustered a little grunt in response.

"Mind if I join you?" The girl clapped her hands together, giving him imploring puppy eyes.

A heavy sigh escaped him, not an annoyed one more like a tired one. "If you want to, go right ahead." He responded with the same tone of disinterest from before, barely batting an eye to her charming looks. "Though, I'm a very boring person to make you company."

The girl giggled, an angelic sound coming out of her mouth, as she took a seat across the table. "A Pokémon Champion at such a young age and with that good-looking face." She rested one hand at her left cheek and eyed him oddly. "You're anything but boring."

"You know who I am?" Brendan gave her a proper look, taking his eyes and studying her face features.

"With your face showing on the TV every day is hard to not know you." She gave him a snarky grin. "Name is Violet, nice to meet you."

"Aa, nice to meet you too, Violet." He reached out with his right hand and properly greeted the curious looking girl.

"So, mister big news. What are you doing over here all by yourself in this secluded corner of a small restaurant?" Violet gave him a playful little chuckle. "You are a hero! Shouldn't you be celebrating at the biggest and fanciest place on Rustboro or something like that?"

"Some people take joy at the attention of others; while some people, like me, prefer to have time alone with their own thoughts." He cleared his throat and took a long sip of his mug. "No offense for those who like attention, of course."

"Quite the contradiction isn't it?" She pulled a clean cup that was upside down next to the teapot and poured some for herself with her own permission. "After making so much noises in Hoenn, is quite hard to believe you're really this shy. Aren't you just playing hard to get?"

Another sigh came from Brendan. This girl in this little timeframe of a conversation managed to exhaust him more than an entire day of training with his Pokémon. "I guess for a stranger I may sound full of it. But that is the reality." Brendan took on his head the little spoon laying on top of the light blue tea saucer and began to stir around inside his mug. "I will do anything for Hoenn, but I have little interest in the fame that it may bring."

"Wow… you have me all shivering over here." Biting her lower lip and wrapping her arms around her small chest, Violet closed her eyes and made a very suggestive humming noise. "I guess you really are the guy I took it to be. That is perfect."

Her choice of words made Brendan raise an eyebrow, getting even more wary of this stranger.

"Actually, I'm a huuuuuge fan of yours. I always had this wish to meet you face-to-face." Violet reverted to her innocent cute little smile from before. "I'm sorry for being so intrusive and ruining your leisure time, heh." She fiddled inside a little purse she was carrying at her left side, taking a little time in her search before taking out a small blue card-like object, probably some sort of memory disk. "I worked very hard last night to make something veeeery special to you. Pretty please, take it." She slid over the desk and eyed Brendan with pleading puppy eyes again.

"Sure… If this means so much to you, I'll gladly take it." Despite his initial suspicions over the girl, she seems like any normal overly excited young lady. In fact, seeing someone so bright pouring her heart into a gift moved the young champion, bringing an honest smile over his lips. "Thank you."

"Yayy! Brendan received my heart-filled gift. I'm so happy!" With a small hop, Violet jumped out of her seat and bowed her head happily in front of the famous trainer. "By the way, this is a video. You can watch it with any device that takes a memory disk like that, like a PokéNav." She did a way to energetic spin, her brightly colored dress making wind all over the place. "With my mission over, I should let you enjoy your peace again. Bye-bye Brendan. Thanks for being so nice to me."

"Bye Violet, I will make sure to watch your video." Brendan nodded, waving the little disk in his hand.

"Please do." She turned around and happily skipped her way to the exit. A happy, easy-going girl that appeared out of nowhere to shake is day up, a strange occurrence if Brendan has ever seen one. However, what he cannot see now that she has her back turned to him is the wicked evil smile tainting her once innocent cute face. 'One prompt to go down, heh. Just one more.'

With the noisy girl out and away, Brendan took his time eying the little disk in his hands. "What in the world she made a video about?" He pondered heavily to no avail, truly evade his grasp anything that could be relevant for him that she knows about, well, anything other than his battles as a champion. 'I hope is not too embarrassing…' He cringed at the thought of this being an entire compilation of him appearing in public or worse, his blunders in his past interviews and contest shows.

To dwindle too much in prepositions would be folly, so Brendan just pulled his PokéNav out and opened up a little lid to slide the disk over.

A heavy hand fell on top of the table and two persons sat unceremoniously in front of Brendan. "Brendan, I'm right?" Said a man with raven hairs and golden eyes, he let out a long breath and rest a cast arm wrapped with heavy white bandages on top of the table.

"Hm… yeah?" Brendan looked over to this person and then to the scarlet-haired pale man at his side. Way too startled to continue any thought process; Brendan put his PokéNav back in his pocket and laid the little disk at the table.

"Great! Name's Ethan." The young golden-eyed man pointed to himself. "This one right here is Silver." Then to the man at his side. "Nice to meet ya and all that." He smiled quite cockily, showing a strange intimacy with Brendan.

In response, Brendan just nodded and continue to watch the duo, growing even more wary of them that the girl from before.

"Well, let's cut this directly to the point, shall we?" Ethan rubbed the tip of his nose and leaned against his chair. "Brendan, we need to talk."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	20. Spiegel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Another Chapter on the shorter side, but I guess is enough for what it is... You can only put so much plot forward things before gets too much, right?_

_On another side note, I will ramble a bit here... I'm always asking for Reviews, comment this... talk about that. I know, its kind of annoying, you guys just want to enjoy the story and continue with your day. Buuut... I ask for these reviews to make the story even better. Sometimes I forgot about some details or spend too much time doing a side thing and I get too engrossed on that, so much that I can't see what is right there. You know how it goes, someone from "the outside" can have a better view about some details than I do, because of how tunnel vision I'm at the time._

_Bah, sorry for the long rant, lets start the chapter._

* * *

"They're expecting you, sir." A male grunt dressed in their customary black clothing slightly bowed in front of the stern-looking red-haired man. "Right this way, please."

Adjusting his glasses with one hand, Maxie carefully observed the slim man. He gave a small nod, telling the receptive person to go along and show the way. The former criminal leader is dressing in a set of formal clothing, most colored with a bright red or dark orange, Maxie still unable to let go of his liking for this set of colors.

Watching his every corner of the underground building at each step, Maxie noticed the unusual lack of personal, or at least he perceived as very strange the excessive free space at each hallway. The few and far between grunts presents are stacking crates and more crates of black boxes in various rooms.

Distracted with his own little investigation he barely noticed the man in front of him stopping and knocking a couple of times on a metallic door. "Ma'am, our guest is here." The grunt said loud enough to be heard, but still not loud enough to be yelled at for being noisy. He stepped aside and pointed for Maxie to enter the room.

Raising one brow in suspicion, Maxie took a step in and pressed the button at the side; the heavy door sliding upwards, opening the way. Fixing his glasses with two fingers, Maxie walked inside the room the door closing behind him. He eyed the burly man sitting on a large chair to his right side and then shifted his attention to the beautiful woman sitting at the head of the large table.

"Mister Maxie, I am glad you accepted our invitation." The blond woman gave a welcoming smile to her guest; she leaned against her seat and folded her arms under her large breasts. "Please, take a seat."

Her friendly smile managed to unsettle the red-haired man to an extent. However, he cleared his throat, which managed to shook the feeling away. Still wary of those two, Maxie pulled one the large chairs at the left side and took his seat alone on that side of the large and long table. "Before you waste your time with a long speech, trying to pull me onto anything. Tell me… how did you find my number?"

"One of yours spilled the beans." Raz grunted the answer, a crooked smile on his face. Seeing the glare he received from Maxie, the muscled grumpy man raised his arms in a sign of peace. "Chill with the angry scowl. They gave it by their own volition."

"As my _friend_ here said." Leyla said with a certain dark tone as she referred to the friend part. "Someone that worked under your great vision saw the good we're trying to do here. Thus, they decided it is of everyone's interest to reach out to you."

Maxie hummed quietly, holding one hand on his chin. "If this person truly worked under me, they also know that I left that life behind… we all did."

"Yet I find that difficult to believe." Leyla replied with a playful tone. "How can you give up so easily? Someone with such grandeur vision, that went on the beyond the limits any other would go for that dream."

A banging sound echoed inside the room. Frowning deeply in frustration, Maxie slammed his hands on the table's surface. "Someone that utterly failed." He threw sharp glares at the blond woman. "I woke Groudon from his sleep, made that beast achieve his original primal form… and failed to realize that he would not obey me."

"But someone gained control over him." Her tone coming out as a questioning one. "That never poked a curiosity inside your head?"

An annoyed sigh came from the red-haired lips. "I almost lost my mind over the next months… How…? Why…? A child was able to subdue a primal. That was inconceivable to me, frustrating… Humiliating." Maxie took his glasses out and rubbed his eyes with the free hand. "Why that brat?"

"Because he is a guardian." The deep, ragged voice of the grumpy enforcer caught Maxie' attention.

"A guardian?" The red-haired looked at the man, his eyes wide with confusion.

"Yes, a guardian. A rare kind of person." Raz stared directly at their guest' eyes. "Someone that has been chosen by the supreme deity of the region. An avatar of their will… Or so I have been told." He shrugged not really interested in the topic.

"So… I was destined to fail." He let out a disheartened chuckle, massaging his left temple.

"Only if you want to." Leyla reached out with her words, a soothing tone present in her voice. "Maxie, the perfect world is right there, in reach to be grasped." She raised one hand, pleading with her eyes. "Join us in your mission. With you and your followers by our side, we will succeed where Team Magma failed."

"Is that so?" Maxie scoffed, giving the blond beauty a look of indifference. "Larger in number would be a nice change from before, however… That still doesn't change the fact that only this… Guardian can bend the beasts under their will."

"Oh darling, that is not a problem." Leyla tapped the surface of the sturdy table, a little compartment door sliding open revealing blue transparent buttons under it. As her fingers swiftly typed on the small keyboard, the large screen on the wall began to flicker showing the map of Hoenn, together with various pictures of Groudon and Kyogre.

Slowly, the friendly façade on the blond woman's face change to a wicked scowl of pure evil. "We have a guardian of our own." She licked her lower lip as she finished speaking the words.

'Hmph… more like we have a lunatic of our own.' Raz frowned at the simple mention of this person.

Jolting from her seat, the acting leader of Rainbow Rocket stood up and walked over to the giant map. "This." She pointed over a specific spot on the map. "Will be the birthplace of our new world."

The red-haired man, who had decided to dismiss anything they would throw at him, suddenly felt a jolt running upwards in his spine. He jumped from his seat, his eyes gleaming with a bright light, his lips quivering, threatening to part away in a grin. "That is…" He reached forward, trying to touch something that is not really there.

"Yes, Maxie." She cooed softly. "It's the genesis of your dream."

* * *

"Guardian?!' Brendan eyed the pair of strangers, wrinkling his forehead at the nonsense.

"Pretty much, yeah." Ethan replied with a happy little nod.

"A slice of Choco-ice cream cake, just like you ordered." The lovely old lady laid a small white plate on the table, sliding the juice dessert over to the golden-eyed youth.

"Oh, thank you." Ethan drooled a little after seeing his cake, he promptly grabbed the little fork at the side and prepared himself to devour his treat. However, despite how eager he showed himself to eat the cake, he stopped himself and glanced over to the teapot. "You mind?" He asked Brendan.

"Ah… suit yourself." Brendan responded shaking his head slightly, so much for drinking his tea in peace.

"How nice of you." The raven-haired champion tilted his head and smiled. With the permission given, Ethan pulled a cup to himself and poured the hot tea with a gleam in his eyes. "Oh, Silver. You want some?" He asked his partner.

And in response received a grumpy grunt from the scarlet-haired man.

"Swo…" Ethan gulped down the large piece of cake he had stuffed inside his mouth, drinking a large sip of his tea for good measure. "So, what is your deal?" He leaned forward on the table, eying his fellow guardian, eagerly waiting for the response.

"My deal? What you're talking about?" Brendan furrowed his brow, holding the tip of his mug on his lips.

"Your powers… you know. The stuff you can do that others can't." Ethan noticed the growing confusion on the longhaired young man, making him sigh in frustration. "Nothing changed with you after meeting, what is their name again… Rayquaza?!"

"We flew to space… if that counts." Brendan shrugged, clearly not getting why of the utter disappointment on the raven-haired man' face.

"You can… at least talk with Pokémon… right?" Ethan reached out of one last straw, hoping he would get the right answer from Brendan. However, after long ten seconds of awkward silence, Ethan gasped clapping his free hand onto his face. "You can't be serious. Let me get a few things straight here." He shifted in his seat, his tone going from the easy-going usual way of talking to a deadly serious one. "You…" He pointed to Brendan. "Were the one that stopped Groudon when he rampaged all those years ago, right?"

"Yes…" Brendan responded with a raised brow.

Ethan continued "And you met with the reigning deity of Hoenn, which led you to somehow stop something bad from happening."

"Yeah… that sounds about right." Brendan nodded, sipping on his tea as he gave little mind to the questioning from the other man.

In utter frustration, Ethan pulled a Poké-Ball out of his pockets and called out one of his Pokémon. "Please Happy, say hi to our friend."

A cheerful looking Sudowoodo jumped happily in front of his trainer and gladly changed his attention to the brown-haired man. He cried out in good spirits, waving his rocky branches at the stranger.

"Hm… hi?" Brendan waved one hand, still not getting what was the point Ethan was trying to make.

"You… really don't understand them, do you?" Ethan growled softly, calling his easygoing Pokémon back to his Poké-Ball. "Happy is the most friendly Pokémon you will ever meet, but he has a nasty mouth that one. If you had understood even one word he just spouted out, surely you would react differently to it."

Silver noticed the look Brendan was giving his partner, he could not help himself but chuckle. "I know how stupid that sounds, but he is speaking the truth." He shifted his gaze over to the side, eying his friend. "I know, coming from a stranger like me, these words hold no meaning to you, but… You can trust him."

"Then, every guardian can speak with Pokémon?" Brendan tried to follow the conversation, doing his best to be open minded. "And… I'm a guardian too?"

"Correct, both parts." Ethan nodded. "After receiving our mark, every guardian gains the ability to truly understand what any Pokémon talks. Well, that and a few other things."

"That is a lot to take in… and to tell the truth. I don't think I can bring myself to believe that." Brendan eyed the raven-haired man, still unsure if he should keep talking with them. "Mark, huh… What is yours?"

"The eyes." Pointed upwards with his thumb, Ethan emphasized the glittering color of his bright eyes. "See. They are golden. Before, I had normal grey eyes until Ho'oh gave me his mark."

"Eyes, huh…" Brendan's mind drifted away, immersing itself onto his memories. A reflection of himself, with a bright red eye burning on his face. "That, I can relate to." He has spoken with his eyes still fazed with a clouded image of his past self.

"From the look on your face, I can see that you somewhat get this now. However, the eyes are just a mirror, reflecting the real deal." Ethan continued his explanation, practically ignoring the cake he so desperately wanted to eat. "The mark has the same glow as the gift within us." He placed his hand on his chest.

"Gift… If a glowing murderous eye is this mark you speak of, I see this 'gift' only as a curse." Brendan spat out, frowning as he remembered the horrible things he did under the influence of this 'gift'.

"That thing on the beach, huh?" Ethan frowned, relating to the bad feeling the longhaired champion is feeling. "I saw most of it."

"You were there?" Brendan raised his gaze up to Ethan, frowning a little bit more.

"But only one of your eyes changed… that is wrong." Ignoring the question, Ethan placed his index finger on his lower lip and pondered. "Maybe you didn't truly awaken as a guardian, instead only partially…?" He frowned himself, finding no real answer inside his head despite how hard he tried to come up with something. "This Rayquaza surely could be more helpful… Well, whatever it is, you need to fix it."

"If that would fix my… problem. I would gladly fix it." Maybe fixing this situation, Brendan could rid himself of the dark voice of primals creeping in when he loses his composure even for a bit.

"That is not the only thing you need to fix." Silver jumped in, growing tired of being a mute spectator. The red-haired leaned in closer to the table and pushed his partner to the side. "Rainbow Rocket." The words made Brendan stiffen and jolt slightly. "That's the real reason why we came here."

"Oh… And what do you know about this… group?" Brendan did little effort to hide the venom in his voice, the mere mention of these criminals makes his blood boil with anger.

"A lot and we will share all of it with you. But before that, I need you to promise something to us." Silver said in a stern voice, his tone always serious and straight to the point a contrast to the way his partners operates.

"And what would that be?" Brendan rested his left arm on the support of the chair at his side, trying to pretend he was mildly disinterested in the request.

"Whatever happens, whatever you may hear… You will help us stop my father." Silver looked straight into his eyes, his expression never wavering from the stern and seriousness of it.

'Father?' Brendan twitched in his seat, clenching his eyes as he eyed the scarlet-haired feminine man. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Deal." He accepted without hearing much else of the terms of this promise, but if it is to bring down Rainbow Rocket, he doesn't care about the details.

"Okay…" Silver breathed in, slow and hard. "I will tell you everything."

* * *

"Nothing…. Nothing again!" The blue and red-eyed Brendan dug deeply with his fingers onto the sandy ground. He leaned backward, standing on his knees as he looked around him, several other medium-sized holes next to him. His fingers twitching with pain, faint little lines of blood running at the tips, close to his nails. "Dammit… Where is it?"

A golden dust cloud arises from further in, Armaldo following the orders he was given is digging furiously at the sand, making tunnel after tunnel after the mysterious prize. And in contrast of the rushed madness unfolding at the deserted beach, Linoone is laying down under the shadow of some trees, resting peacefully as per command of his new friend.

"I need to find it…. I'm losing time." Hearing himself speak, Brendan froze up, holding his mouth open as he looked at nothing specifically. "Losing time? For what?" He jolted his arms up, digging his dirtied fingers into his loose long hair. Grunting and trembling in pain, he bent forward almost unnaturally, resting his forehead at the warm sand. "What I am supposed to do? What is this feeling of longing?"

He rolled over, falling at his side. With his odd-colored eyes staring at the clear blue sky, the confused young man bit his lips, feeling a lone tear roll over to the side of his cheek. "Is it Zinnia? Do I miss her?" He shook his head somewhat violently, frowning as he did. "No, that is not it. What is wrong with me?"

"Wow! Quite a hardcore redecoration you're doing over here." Walking out from the shadows of the trees, Violet casually called out to get Brendan's attention. She skipped over the multiple holes in her way and stood over a few steps away from him. "Hi." She beamed a cheerful smile as he turned his head to look at her.

With a very transparent scoff, Brendan glared at the easygoing girl frowning with utter irritation. "Who are you?" He practically spat the question out, the pointy bit of his canine tooth appearing under his upper lip.

"I'm Violet, nice to meet you." The girl with pinky twin-ponytail sighed at the unfriendly welcome she was getting. "Geez, no need to burn me with those eyes. I'm here to help you."

"Pfft… And in what a stranger could help me with?" He replied dryly, still upholding his hostile stance. "You don't know me…" His frown deepened, his gaze drifting away from her features. 'Who could she know me? Sometimes feels like I don't know my own person.'

"Ah, but that is not true at all, Brendan." Her sweet smile twisted itself into a grin as she noticed his entire body go stiff at the mention of his name. Still, that was not a good enough reaction to her. "Or should I say, Deoxys?"

From stiff to completely frozen, Brendan's eyed fell into a cold and dark cloud. His lips twitched, as he tried to speak out. "Wh… What?" Taking a lot of effort to break himself from his confusion, Brendan slid his gaze back to the girl. This name felt so strange and alien to him, yet… so familiar.

"Huh? You don't remember?" Violet tilted her head to the right, looking down at him with fake pity in her features. "That won't do. I can't leave my precious friend so clueless to what he is." Seeing how much her words have shaken him, Violet quickly skipped a few small hops closer to the kneeled man, her eyes never leaving the prize. "Feeling lost… Like you don't know where to go or where you truly belong to?" Her voice now smoother, like a sirens call drawing him closer to her. "I can help you remember… truly remember, who you are." She reached out with one hand, leaving it in the air waiting for Brendan to take the next step. "But only if you want to."

He wants to know… he needs to know. He is Brendan that much is clear to him, as clear as the sun shining at the sky above them. Yet something is not right, deep down he knows that is more to it, a secret not even himself knows of.

"I…" Brendan slowly raised his arm, his hand going over to hers. "Please… help me take this hollow feeling away."

Violet gave him a bittersweet little smile, but on the inside, she was smirking to no end. 'This is too easy.' She thought to herself as she squeezed his hand hard and firmly. "I will help you…" Taking her hand back, the pink-haired girl pulled a square device out of her overly colored bag and handed it out to him. "I will show you, who you truly are."

Brendan eyed the darkened screen of the device on his hand, his eyes trailed up to the girl leaning down onto him. She smiled again and pointed to the black screen; her fingers going over to a small button and with a low click sound, the thing came to life with a static image onto it.

"Let us take a trip to the past, a few days earlier." She said with an evil gleam, her true intentions barely not oozing out from her mouth. With another click, the video began to play, old footage rolled in front of Brendan's eyes.

At each passing minute, Brendan's expression changed more and more. He started with an anxious look, then slowly changing to denial and distrust; as the video marched its way to the end, his face has already turned to a scowl of complete disdain. 'This can't be right… It has to be fake, right?' He looked over to the gooey creature falling down from its glassy prison down to the salt invading waters, the camera position swiftly changing from that isolated room to one out at the main floor, staring directly at the overflowed stairs.

His eyes widened, that scene was all too real to him, all too familiar. A naked man, crawling out from the flooded entrance, puking out water and strange liquids from his mouth. There is no mistaking it, that man… that thing, it is him. As his naked-self walked out of the destroyed Rainbow Rocket base, the video stopped and the screen went black again.

Violet eagerly waited from an explosive reaction, a scream of frustration or a violent outburst, yet nothing came. "From a strange being that came from the sky, you were changed, modified to become something else, someone else." She started to provoke him further, looking to push him even more over the edge. "Do you remember now? Anything?"

Blue and red flared up, his eyes burning with a fierce light. Brendan growled painfully, he covered his face with both hands and cried out softly. "I remember… being born… It was dark, cold. I was there, no… he was there." He jolted to the side as if stabbed be something invisible on his chest. "Together with that green monster, he assaulted me…. He killed me for nothing."

Everything rushed in, the fight on space against a green dragon. The small human riding on top of it, the missing part of his mind-puzzle being placed down on the blank spot. The pain stopped, the confusion stopped.

Getting himself back up, he sat down on the sand holding his head down. Large bangs of brown hair flowing from his forehead sides, hiding his glowing eyes under them. Digesting everything in silence, he ignored the impatient looking girl at his side and focused entirely on what was all of this.

"So? Do you know now?" Violet asked, taking the first step into this new conversation.

"Aa…" He responded with a disheartened chuckle. "My 'life' from before doesn't matter anymore. It died on space with me…"

"That… is not what I expected." She frowned deeply. The sheer frustration building up inside of her was enough to make her hands twitch with the wanting feeling of slapping this man at his face.

"I… dammit, Brendan killed Deoxys on that day. But I was reborn as Brendan in return, this is my truth." He sighed with a strange silent chuckle following after, which slowly transformed into a burst of dark laughter. "Hahah, the irony of life. Gahahaha!"

"So, should I call you Brendan or Deoxys?" In an overfriendly act, Violet sat down next to him and landed her arm on top of his shoulder.

Her touch startled him, making him break his streak of laughter with a creeping silence. He thought about the answer, a long and profound consideration of what he should say. Then his eyes trailed down to the reflection on the black screen of the device on his hands. His figure was almost the same, but darkened and shrouded, with only his bright eyes completely visible on it. "Neither." He said sternly. "I will never be Deoxys… that was only a name given to me by strangers. But I cannot be Brendan, not yet." He clenched his hands together, some cracking sounds coming from his fists with the amount of force he was putting into it. "Until I claim everything that is his, I cannot be Brendan. So until that day comes, I will be Spiegel."

That was it, the sinister and bold words coming from this man is everything Violet hoped for. She felt her body tremble with excitement, now all was set in stone and her plan would start to take form. Not resisting the urge, she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a strange hot feeling over her successful machinations.

"Here." Bren… Spiegel raised his left hand, giving back her device. Without sparing the moment to look at her, he turned to the side and stood up. "Thank you for showing me this. To show you my appreciation for this kindness, I will give you ten minutes to get out of my sight."

"Eh?" She looked at him surprised, to say the least. The deadly tone on his words in the last part of his sentence made the cutesy girl uneasy and wary of him. "What are you going on about?"

"Nine minutes." He turned his face to the side, looking at her with his burning bright blue eye, his face twisted in a hateful scowl that would manage to scare even the bravest person. "After nine minutes passes, I will start to hunt down all of you." Small clouds of sand raised up as he did a violent turn, taking a step closer to the girl, forcing her to take a step back. "You… and the people who work with you are the enemies of Brendan… my enemies."

"B-But don't you hate Brendan?" She stuttered, taking a few more steps backward. Her feet slid down onto an open hole, making Violet fall on her back. The figure of Spiegel towering over her. "You should work to screw him over, not to help him." Feeling more distress at each stomping step this man took closer to her, Violet moved her right hand down reaching for a Poké-Ball.

"Don't bother calling a Pokémon out." He warned with a threatening tone. "It would only force my hand to kill you right now."

A second pair of steps sounded from behind her, these ones larger and louder. A lumbering shadow loomed over her, and dark claws reached in clipping darkly as if ready to cut him at any moment. Violet looked back, she saw a menacing Armaldo standing more than ready to harm her in many ways.

"Five minutes." Spiegel counted over, his voice sending a death-cold shill over the scheming woman's spine.

Snapping from the insane situation, Violet shrieked and jumped on her feet. With fearful tears sliding from the side of her eyes, she stormed away from the beach without giving a glance back to the dangerous monster she has just 'created' herself.

"Ah…" He sighed, falling down on the sand, looking over to the ruined mountain far away on the sea. "Now I wish to have never learned…" Spiegel frowned deeply, chewing on his lower lip in exhaustion and frustration. He is not Brendan… he is not human, not truly. What will Zinnia think if she learns about this? His heart ached with the thought of her leaving him; but then again, she never belonged to him. She loves Brendan, the real Brendan. At this moment, a dark ingenious idea crossed his mind, making his lips part onto a sinister smile. "I just need to take her away from him… make her mine, like everything else."

* * *

"This is… way worse than I imagined." Brendan sunk his face down on his hands, something he found himself doing a lot from the duration of Silver's explanation. "A whole army of those thugs?"

"Yes. But as much as they are annoying, the real trouble makers are those enforcers." Silver proceeded, rubbing his forehead with two fingers. "My father always enjoyed having powerful followers closer to him, but something is different with these ones."

"A shame you bailed out before meeting any of them, huh?" Ethan joked from the side, which earned him an elbow at his side.

"And that copy of me?" Brendan ran a hand over his head, his fingers digging on his hair.

"Sorry, I know nothing about that." Silver replied, making Brendan sigh out of frustration.

The table fell in silence, well quiet. As Ethan's pleasured noises as he finally continued to eat his cake prevented the mood to go completely depressingly silent. Brendan mulled over everything he had just learned, his eyes unfocused as he considered everything about the whole situation and the criminal group that invaded his region.

Silver also kept his mouth shut; taking this time to watch not only Brendan's reaction but also Ethan a bit too childish joy with his dessert. Even if it is unsightly of the Johto champion to behave like this, a part of the red-haired could not help himself but smile at the cuteness of his partner.

"Ywo, wad iz all dat?" Ethan gulped down another large chunk of the cake, making himself able to talk properly. "Brendan, what is all that commotion?" The raven-haired easygoing youth pointed to the mass of people waltzing into Ever Grande.

"Uh?" Brendan shifted his gaze to the window, a small smile showing on his lips. "I forgot… hahah. Tonight is the Festival of Roses."

"A FESTIVAL?!" Ethan's eyes sparkled full of life. He jolted his head to his left, his gaze falling onto his partner.

"Oh no. hell no." Silver cried out, crossing his arms on his chest. "Remember Ethan, we're not here on vacation."

"One night Silver!" Ethan jumped from his chair, pleading with his eyes. "You can't show me this amazing thing and then refrain to give it to me. Please, one night… Festival… please."

Brendan chuckled at the pair antics; he found their exchange quite familiar as one he had with a very special person. This warmed him over to them much more than any explanation the red-haired gad given him. "You should stay the night; the blooming of the flower bridge is an amazing sight to see."

Silver eyed the brown-haired champion, one of his brow twitching at the suggestion.

"And there is a lot of stalls at the edge of town too." He added in.

"That is!" Ethan pumped his free hand in the air. "We're staying and that's final." He buffed out, sitting down on his chair with a determined pout.

"Great…" Gruting annoyingly, Silver shifted his gaze away from his partner. There is little that the scarlet-haired young man hates more than crowded areas. Well, maybe be forced to delve into a crowd by someone else.

" **I heard you…"** A dark, chilling voice reached inside Brendan's head. A piercing pain echoed inside his brain. **"I answer… Your call… Come find me!"** The voice came in again, this time forcing Brendan to bend over, hitting his forehead on the table.

"Gaarhn…. AAarhhhh" Brendan held tight to his head, clenching his teeth in pure pain.

"Oi, Brendan?!" Ethan called out to him, clearly startled by the youngster cries of pain.

Without notice, Brendan jolted from his chair, rushing out of the restaurant with his hands still on his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Silver looked at Ethan with wide-open eyes.

"I don't know. But we should go after him."

"On it." Silver jumped from his seat, running at full speed after the disturbed Brendan.

Before joining his partner on the strange chase, Ethan leaned in on the table practically swelling completely the rest of his cake. A lump formed on his throat, desperate to no choke to death, he chugged all of his tea in one go, gulping all of it and sighing out in relief. With his eyes tearing up from the silly accident, Ethan noticed a small little object laid forgotten on the table.

"Hm… and what is that?" He hummed over with interest. Of course, he could not help himself and grabbed the small disk. Putting his new finding onto his pocket, the raven-haired trainer stood up from his seat and ran after the other two.

* * *

Brendan ran, he ran without course, his eyes blinded with an infuriating pain reining over his thoughts. He continued dashing madly up the hills of Ever Grande, his feet carrying him over a sea of flower buds. His eyes shoot open, strangely enough, his right eye was the one shining at full light, a blue furious light.

He stomped with his left foot at the edge of the cliff, eying the dark blue sea below him. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" His shout echoed like thunder over the crashing waves far down.

"Brendan? Are you… okay?" Silver asked. The scarlet-haired feminine man eyed him with cautious eyes, wary of the strange behavior of the youngster.

"Something…. Is-" A massive shadow float over them, covering most of the cliff with its cold intensity.

Silver shuddered; he eyed the beast with fear and anger. "This guy is back?" He spat out in exasperation.

" **YOU!"** Kyogre's furious cold voice echoed inside Brendan's head. To everyone else, it was as if a maddening thunder had exploded on the sky. **"You're not the one..."** He said now in a whisper, disappointed and annoyed whisper. With the same urgency, the same instantaneous appearance, the giant blue primal disappeared down onto the sea, leaving everything untouched from his anger.

"You're not the one?" Ethan's voice came from behind. He looked at Brendan with confusion. "What is he talking about?"

"I… don't know." Brendan looked down to the sea, searching even for a small trace of the blue beast. "But Kyogre never came after me… only Groudon. I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	21. Tears

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

Working through the piles of data filled papers, one after another, May have been spending most of her day helping her father finalize his new project. Although in the beginning, the good old professor was clinging at her side, reciting each and every word of his work basically non-stop, he is now missing, much to May' peace of mind as his voice paired together with the extensive amount of tipping she was doing almost drove the girl crazy.

"Phew… just a few more." The diligent girl wiped the sweat from her forehead, smiling ever so slightly after finishing with one stack of papers.

"Maaay!" The front door busted open, probably kicked open, as a young boy came running. "This is bad, May!" Dressed with a pair of blue pants and a white T-shirt, the distressed eight-years-old dashed inside holding his head with both hands.

"Lucas... no running inside the house." Taking her eyes apart from the computer screen, she eyed the boy who stopped right next to her, jumping up and down. "What's wrong? Did you fight with Jay again?"

At the mention of a past event of the week, a rather embarrassing one from his point of view, Lucas stopped jumped and looked to the side, pouting. "No. I'm not talking to her… She's mean." Just as he was thinking of complaining about his friend, which the other day lasted for an hour, his eyes widened and he went back to jump up and down frantically. "Never mind that, you need to help. It's professor Birch."

And just as fast as Lucas zoomed in, he quickly zoomed out running in a frenzy to the city's entrance.

"Hey Lucas, what's wrong with him?" She jumped out of her chair carelessly, jamming her arm on the last pile of data, unfortunately spreading all the sheets and blocks of paper on the floor. "Sheesh, way to give me a heart attack." The semblance of a frown threatened to appear on her features but quickly faded away as she giggled away. "Father is doing that again, huh?"

With no hurry showing, May casually kneeled down and started to pick up everything she dropped. "It's this the third time this month?" She giggled again, remembering the scene of her father running in circles from an angry/cute looking Poochyena. "Okay!" She said loudly after organizing the files again. "Time to save dad."

Running a few minutes late after Lucas, May got to the boy at the edge of Littleroot. Lucas, who was panicking all around the little town, is now staring at the road ahead. Strangely enough, he is hiding behind the light pole, only poking with his head out as he watched.

With a playful little grin on her lips, May tiptoed behind the little boy and poked him at his sides. "Boo." She said quite loudly.

"AHHH!" Lucas jumped startled, luckily enough he only tripped and fell with his butt on the ground instead of hitting his back against the poke. "May!" He threw an upset glare at her. "Why you did that for?"

"Dunno… why are you sneaking?" She leaned in closer to him, her big pretty eyes making the poor boy blush.

"There is a stranger up ahead." He pointed to the grassy road. "At least he saved the professor."

"Hm…" May drifted her gaze away from the boy and up ahead. However, little did she see, as the setting sun is doing nothing to help with the poor visibility over the shadows of the trees and tall grass.

Tapping Lucas gently on the top of his head, May decided to go ahead and take a proper look at this stranger.

"Haha, this sure brings up old memories. Always nice to feel safe again." Birch's voice echoed on the peaceful green route 101. By his tone and cheerful laugh, he doesn't sound in trouble or ambushed by a small Pokémon like May had anticipated.

"She doesn't look very threatening." A male, very familiar voice, responded to the old man. The sweet and calm tone of this voice tugged at May's chest.

Jogging at a very fast pace, May pushed the grass aside to cut a straight path to the voices. She pushed every little green thing that was on her way, almost stumbling on a sleeping Wurmple. Finally, out of the green sea of leaves, the almost fading orange sunlight shined upon her eyes, yet it could not hide the face of the man standing next to her father.

"Brendan?" She said, surprised to see him.

"Huh? Oh, hello May." He replied with a warm smile. His brows twitched a little after being called that, but Spiegel decided to play along and let them call him that.

"May, you won't believe this!" Birch raised both arms, giving a surprised glance to his daughter. "I got attacked just out of the town." The professor almost added an 'again' to that but decided it was not important. "But Brendan showed up to save the day. Heh, just like when you're a kid, huh?" He tapped the younger male on his back, showing a bright smile to him.

"Did I? Like I said before, she doesn't look very threatening." He patted the small Poochyena sitting on his arms and the canine Pokémon did a happy cry in reply. "See, she even likes you."

Birch eyed the small grey fluffy Pokémon; he scratched his cheek a bit hesitant to get closer but decided to lean in any way. To his surprise, Poochyena snugged her wet little nose on his face and started to lick his scruffy beard. "Oh, hahah look at her." Birch chuckled happily, taking her on his arms.

From behind the tree line over the route's westernmost side, thumping sounds began to echo in a strangely rhythmic way. The first to be greeted by the setting sunlight was Armaldo, with his blue chitin sparkling with a few droplets of water; from his left side came a ferocious-looking Sandslash, some of the ground hedgehog's stone spikes are tilted, almost broken by with appear to be a strong blunt impact. And from the right side the blue shelled-brute, a poised looking Absol; in contrast of the other two imposing-looking Pokémon, this one is shy and reserved, its pristine white fur tarred by a dark-colored murk staining most of the fur on its chest.

All three wild Pokémon marched forward in unison, only stopping on their tracks as they reached Speigel's side. Birch, the same man that was running away desperately from a tiny Poochyena, stepped closer to the group, his eyes sparkling with huge interest.

"What do we have here…" He eyed each individual Pokémon with equal glee.

"They're mine." The young trainer with duo-colored eyes responded. He glanced over to the tree, studying the looks they are giving him back. "I got them on the way here."

"Hum… they look quite battered and somewhat exhausted." The professor ran one of his hands on Sandlash's crooked spike, earning an agitated growl from it. "Say, Brendan, why did you walk all the way here with them like this?" Scratching his bearded chin, Birch shifted his gaze over to the young man, staring at him with inquiring eyes. "It would be best to keep them safe and resting inside a Poké-Ball during the trip."

"I…" Averting his eyes uncomfortable, Spiegel held his right arm with one hand and frowned feeling somewhat ashamed. "I don't have any with me." He responded.

"You didn't have it? What, Poké-Balls?" Birch exclaimed ever so loudly. He threw his back in surprise, startling the poor Poochyena in his hands. He saw as 'Brendan' nodded his head quietly, and smiled. "You tamed all three of them without Poké-Balls?! Well, that is quite something indeed. But let's save that chat for later, wait here and I will bring you some."

Carefully landing the tiny grey Pokémon on the ground, Birch turned on his heels and ran into Littleroot. Much to his surprise, Poochyena ran after him, but this time the good professor just chuckled instead of screaming for his life.

Without Birch and his energetic voice around, the place fell into an awkward silence. Spiegel running one hand on the back of his long hair, and May just watching him without saying a word. This lasted for more than five minutes, as she didn't know what to say and he is feeling ever the stranger under her watchful eyes. Then, from the shadow of the three Pokémon, a way to energetic Linoone jumped out, wrapping himself onto his friend's right leg.

"He-hey! Stop doing that." Spiegel cried out in distress. With his furred companion wiggling around on top of his foot, he felt his entire body dance strangely at the rhythm of the little jester in a fruitless effort to not trip and fall. Sadly for him, he not only tripped but also fell down on his face. "You're gonna pay for that!" He slowly raised his itching face out of the grass and waved one arm at the jumping Linoone, yet not a drop of ill-intent was present on his words.

"Pfft… Hahaha." May's hesitation melted away as soon as she saw her old friend entering a heated argument against a bravely cute Linoone. She laughed way harder than intended as her side began to throb slightly from the ordeal. "I wasn't aware that the mighty champion was weak against a little Pokémon."

"More like a little devil." He spat out, glaring at Linoone. "I'm almost losing count of how many times he has made me fall on my face. That was not funny the first time and it's not getting any funnier at each more."

"It looked funny to me." May said back, giving him a mischievous grin of her own.

Finding a partner in crime for his schemes, Linoone casually jumped to May landing on her open arms. The hisses he made at Spiegel made the girl laugh, even more, she finds the antics of these two, fighting like two little kids, way too funny.

'Kid…' May began to caress her newest friend brown fur, taking her eyes down to his long body. "So, I guess you came here to see Jully, right?" She asked, raising her view just a bit to see his response.

"Jully?" Spiegel tilted his head to the side, clearly lost at her words.

"Your baby sister, silly."

"A sister…" He trailed his eyes away, looking at the waving trees at the side. "I have a sister? A baby sister?" With a whip of his gaze, Spiegel locked his eyes onto hers and May for the first time noticing how different they look.

Bright blue and deep red, like two sparkling jewels, his eyes carry an overwhelming charm and beauty to them. But unless her memory betrays her, May is sure they were never like that. "Brendan… your eyes…" She pointed at the two glowing orbs on his face, mesmerized by them. The light coming from them feels so nostalgic and new at the same time like a lost flame had returned to Brendan, a blaze that May missed so much.

"HERE IT IS!" Birch announced his return with a vigorous and vivid shout, his sudden loud entrance startling her daughter out of her dream-like state. "Took me some time to find them, but I guess it is worth the wait, huh?"

The older man pushed his hands forward, presenting a wooden platter with eight Poké-Balls on top of it. Each Ball is different, with different patterns and colors.

"These are a few projects of mine." Birch said proudly. "I did a few adjustments to them, nothing too big." He nodded with his head, signaling for Brendan to go forward and pick one. "Choose the ones you like more."

As per the professor instructions, Spiegel walked forward and scanned the platter. Each Poké-Ball looked so appealing to him that he could only rover one hand over them, fingers trembling with excitement.

"I like the red one more." May said on the back.

Her words made him spare her a short glance, then his eyes traveled to the bright red Poké-Ball that has two yellow lightning on its sides. "This one?" He pointed to the ball, making May nod and smile. "Okay, then. The red one is the first."

Taking the chosen prize in his hands, the duo-colored eyed youth walked over to Sandslash and bopped her softly on the head. In a ray of light, the ground hedgehog disappeared inside the ball, which twitched a few times but quickly settled down.

Turning back to Birch, his eyes instantly landed on a cyan Poké-Ball. Just looking at it made a no brainer to choose the owner of this one. Once again, he picked the Poké-Ball up and bopped it on Armaldo's head, the big armored bug going inside without any protest.

The third Poké-Ball of his choice is a simple yet beautiful looking ball. Completely white like snow, with one strip of purple going vertically from the center. Differently, from the other two, this time he waved with his hand, calling Absol closer. With no complaints again, he tapped the white feline on the head with the snowy ball.

"What about this little guy here?" May called out, raising up Linoone in her arms.

The brown energetic jester jolted up and jumped on the ground. He turned to hiss at May and then dashed out to the large trees.

"Hey, where are you going?" She called out, desperate for letting him flee.

"Don't worry about him. I never expected him to want to be inside of one anyway." Spiegel watched as his strong-minded friend dashed out to the distance.

"Are you sure?" May asked, still feeling sorry for her blunder.

"Yeah… He will show up again if he wants to." Despite the conviction in his words, he still felt a tug in his chest. Even with all the crazy stunts, the little furball likes to pull off, still saddens him a bit seeing his courageous companion go away.

"A shame about that Linoone, he looked like the funny sort." Birch walked next to Spiegel, still holding the platter on hands. "Anyway, let me take care of your friends here while you visit the town, okay?"

"Ah… okay." He carefully rested the three balls back on the wooden surface, a bit unsure if he should part away from them yet decided to oblige to the professor's request.

"Don't worry Brendan, I will treat them properly." Birch said and then laughed with his energetic way. "I will take them to your old house when I'm done." Giving the youngster a reassuring smile, Birch marched onwards the little town, humming happily as he walked.

"Professor." Spiegel called him.

"Yeah?" And Birch turned around with his signature carefree smile on his lips.

"Thank you."

"Oh, it's my pleasure kiddo." Barking a warm and loud laugh, Birch disappeared onto the town probably going directly to his lab.

* * *

A nine-year-old little girl was skipping happily in her little play on the garden behind her house. Until her eyes landed on the most curious of scenes, a scene of her stupid friend kissing the light pole with his forehead, doing the most horrible of jobs in staying hidden.

Dusting away the dirt from her red striped dress, she casually walked to where the little boy was doing his non-sense.

"What are you doing, you dork?" The young girl said folding her arms together.

Lucas jumped startled, again, but instead of saying something like he did to May, he only gave a side glance to the girl and returned his attention to the road out of town.

Jay felt a vein pop on her forehead, nothing gridded more on her gears than being ignored even more by her youngster friend. "Still not talking?" She asked in a deadly tone, again no response coming from the boy. "You leave me no choice then." To Lucas uttermost surprise and complete disgust, Jay leaned in closer on him and kissed him on the cheek.

"EEEWWW!" The boy threw himself on the grassy ground, rubbing his cheek in despair. "Why did you do that for?! So annoying." He growled out angrily, pointing one finger at the brown-haired girl.

"That was your punishment for ignoring me." She replied with a pout, obviously irritated from his ridiculous reaction to a simple kiss. "Then, what are you doing being all fishy and sneaky like that?"

"Shhh…" He held a finger on his lips and pointed to the road. "There's a stranger talking with May… And I don't like the look of him."

"A stranger? You aren't making stupid things up again, are you?" She eyed him with a lot of suspicions since his last 'exaggeration' earned both of them a lot of trouble with their respective parents.

"No, I'm not!" Lucas growled in frustration but blushed after remembering that they were in bad terms and why there were in bad terms with one another. "Ahem, he came in with a lot of strange Pokémon behind him… So suspicious..."

"That really sounds suspicious… but I can't see anything over there." She clenched her eyes trying to see behind the tall grass, no luck with that. "How good are your eyes to see anything past that green wall?"

"Aaah! Here they com-" Lucas jumped from his spot, in his hurry to run away he ended up bashing his face against Jay's, both kids falling on top of each other.

"Lucas, what are you up to now?" May's voice startled the little duo.

"No-nothing! We were just…" Getting himself from the ground, Lucas eyed the tall man standing next to May and his words died out. In an instant reaction, he grabbed Jay's arm and hid behind her.

"Get off me, you scared cat." The girl tried to wiggle the boy out of her, but he barely moved an inch from the sport.

"Ohh look at you two. I'm glad you made peace."

"I shouldn't! This little imp is the reason my mom took my game away." Jay growled softly, frowning just a bit. Her eyes too landed on the tall man, but differently, from Lucas, the stranger's face only made the girl put a finger on her chin and ponder. "Hey… Aren't you Brendan? The trainer from Littleroot that became Champion?" she asked.

"Erh… Yeah. That would be me." He responded with a small smile, not totally okay to claim the title as his now, but still unable to deny it.

"Huh, that's neat." She shrugged off, leaving May and Spiegel open-mouthed with her reaction. "Can you wait here for a moment?" The girl didn't wait to receive a response, instead, she walked away, dragging Lucan with her, to a small building at the southern part of Littleroot.

"Oh no…" May instantly knew what the girl was up to. She grabbed onto Spiegel's shirt and began to pull him with her. "Brendan, we need to hide right now."

"What, wait, why?" He eyed her with a raised brow. "What about the little girl?"

"We have no time… That place is-"

From the same little building where Jay and Lucas had entered, a stampede of six people came out, running and screaming to all sides. "WHERE IS HE?" All of them shouted at the same time.

"It's your fan…club." May said deflated, it is too late to hide.

"My what?" He tried to voice his confusion, but…

"BRENDAN!" A teenaged girl, the mirror image of Jay but older, yelled her heart out.

"IT'S HIM, THE CHAMPION IS HERE!" An older man, with his hair going gray shouting as if he was in the spring of his youth.

The frenzied members of the Fanclub, Champion of Littleroot, circled around their idol, each member squealing and screaming like crazy. Some of the female members even reaching in to pinch his butt, something that deeply startled the poor guy.

"Guys, please… Just stop pushing." May cried out in frustration, as she began to be pushed further and further away from Spiegel by the little whirlpool made of fans.

"May, you're just trying to steal Brendan all to yourself." One girl complained.

"We're his fans too, you know?" A young male trainer added in. This one is wearing a black T-shirt with a Sceptile's face stamped on it.

With her temper getting worse at each push and exalted scream, May began to push them back, slowly but surely making her way next to the big star himself. "Tch. I'm not a fan! I am his friend."

"So what? I want to be his friend too." All six of them yelled at the same time.

"STOP!" May shouted louder than the entire group together, her voice coming out so agitated that all of them fell into silence. "You really need to stop this madness right now."

"But May, Brendan is here." A girl pointed her finger to the quiet-looking Spiegel, the whole commotion making him more than uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I can see that. But he is not going anywhere for now." After taking a long breath to calm her pulsing nerves, May continued. "Look, he is here to see his family and you should respect that… Or should I call Norman?"

Gasps echoed all around, the six stared at each other, all bearing a terrified expression on their faces.

"We…" Jay's older sister walked forward and grabbed one of his hands. "Brendan, please just come to talk with us later, okay?" She gave him a warm smile with pleading eyes, seeing that May had begun to frown again the girl released the grip on his hands and ran back to the fan club building.

One after another, each member stopped by to shake their idol's hand and retreated to their hideout, some jumping onto the window from the inside to keep looking at their hero.

"Sheesh… Sometimes they can be so troublesome, but they are a good bunch." May said sheepishly.

"I never expected a Fan club… At least not one for me."

"Why not? You are a hero for most people here in Littleroot. Someone from our little old town has become such a big deal to the world. We are all proud, me too." With a quick wink, she turned around and grabbed his hand again. "Let's go see Jully."

As her fingers began to intertwine with his, Spiegel pulled his hand away. May glanced back at him, burning red with embarrassment and feeling stupid for acting so close to him. "I don't think this is a good idea…" He said, taking a step back.

May noticed the uncomfortable look on his face, the way he was looking to his old house and cringing away. "Why not?" She approached him again, now taking both of his hands on hers.

With a violent yank of his arms, Spiegel pulled away. He lowered his head, staring at the ground beneath his feet. "This is not my place… I don't belong here."

"Why not?" The same question floated in the air again, but now carried by a different voice, a masculine one. "If someone belongs in here, that person is you. Brendan." From the shadowy corner of Brendan's old home, Wally came forward giving the man a stern look.

"Wally…"

"Hey there… friend."

* * *

Whistling winds soared under the starry sky, the trees' branches waving up and down at the soothing breeze, a picture-perfect representation of serene peace. Littleroot always seemed quieter than any other city of Hoenn, at least for anyone seeing it from afar, in truth most of the citizens enjoys their evening outdoor with the soft green leaves whooshing over them.

Today out of any other day, a new group is taking their time to enjoy themselves under the moonlight of Littleroot. A new group in name only, that is because of how long it has been since they have been like this, together… and happy.

"I clearly remember you crying for falling inside that hole." Displaying a playful smirk, the red-blue eyed youth eyed his green-haired friend.

Wally looked away in a hurry, the pale skin of his face turning redder by the moment. "I did no such thing. You're clearly remembering things wrong." He pouted, resting his chin over his arms, folded on top of his knees.

"Look at him, he is embarrassed." May jumped in at the fun, her large grin making the poor boy go even redder. As she began to laugh in an outgoing way, both Spiegel and Wally laughed as well.

For the past half-hour, the trio has been talking, laughing and making fun of each other. As if they had returned in time to six years ago, they are casually sitting on a small circle by the southernmost edge of Littleroot, reliving old stories about their past. Any animosity between the friends now all gone.

"I missed this, you know?" Wally said, smiling like a happy fool. "The three of us just talking, nothing too important… No obligations."

"No fights…" May said after.

"No problems in the world." Spiegel added his own bit.

"Brendan…" The tea-green haired man glanced to his oldest friend, his eyes glittering under the star's light. "The stuff… I said the other day. I'm sorry."

Smiling sadly for having no recollection of any close exchange on the past years with Wally, Spiegel sighed. "I am sure that anything you said to me… I deserved it." He pushed himself out of the ground and slowly wiped the dust away from his pants. "Recently… I learned how much I love my life." A single tear fell from the side of his blue eye. "You never know how much people mean to you until you lose them." He looked down to May and Wally, new tears popping up, now on both eyes. "I don't want to lose you guys…. I love you both so much."

"Brendan…" Wally felt his mouth drop. Never in a thousand years had he imagined his friend would make a confession like this. Damn it is hard to not break down in tears after that.

May could not be as strong as Wally. Taking a direct hit from those words, her cheeks are already moist with the droplets sliding down from her eyes. "You…" She said with her lips quivering. "You will never lose us, Brendan. No matter what happens, we will be there for you. Right, Wally?"

"Of course. Friends until the end, no matter what." Showing a bright smile on his lips, the young Gym leader bumped his fist in the air.

"Thank you… you don't know how much this means to me." Spiegel smiled softly, wiping the tears away from his eyes. "I think, I should go and meet my sister."

"Hold right there." Wally jumped on his feet. With the friendly wink of his left eye, he wrapped one arm around his friend's neck and tugged him down. "I will go with you; I wouldn't miss aunt's face for the life of me." He glanced back to the girl still sitting on the grass. "May, are you coming?"

"Yep." She smiled in response, the beauty of her gesture making Wally's cheek blush with a tint of red. With a grin of mischief crawling its way to her features, May bumped both boys to the ground and ran to Brendan's old house, giggling away happily. She knocked on the door and glanced back to those two. "Aunty, you won't guess who is here."

"Aahhh! You stop that, I want to see her surprised face too." Wally cried out desperately. In a herculean effort to make there in time, he dragged his friend by the arm, mostly sliding him across the grassy ground of Littleroot. Despite feeling half of his body itching from the unexpected grind against the grass, the duo-colored young man just smiled, letting his friend carry him away.

* * *

Bursting out with voices and energy, the little two-floor house never felt so alive. Being overly pampered by his 'mother' from the moment he walked inside the living room, Spiegel only had time to breathe alone after Birch showed up to bring the Poké-Balls and in a total coincidence brought over his wife and a duo of two curious young children.

Even with the abnormal number of people showing up without notice, the hosts felt nothing but happiness for having a little celebration instead of a normal dinner. After they all enjoyed the most delicious meal in the company of friends, the group split into various groups of conversation.

Birch ended up dragging his old friend to the armchairs next to the big TV, their spouses are sitting down next to the small table in the dining room enjoying a warm green tea. Lucas and Jay zoomed out of the house as soon as they finished eating, the boy ranting about finding the super-star he saw the other night and the girl telling how much of a liar he is.

May and Wally are chatting together on the couch, her making fun of how startled Wally looked when she got the lead on them and Wally occasionally blushing over the smiles she gives him. However, a 'Brendan', or his mirrored self, is nowhere to be seen, a fact that everyone else just is just forgetting about.

Outside the house, right under Jully's bedroom window, a lone man is gazing upon the stars. He is holding a small tight wrapping of pink and white blankets. From within the sea of warmth and comfort, a little hand reached out to him coming together with a few low giggles.

Extending his finger to the delicate hand, Spiegel let the baby girl hold on with her little hand, to his surprise a very firm grasp. "You think they are pretty too?" He looked to the girl and pointed to the sky. "It seems I came from there… I swan between the stars, pretty cool, huh?"

Jully laughed happily, reaching out with her other tiny hand and pointed to the bright colored eyes of her 'brother'.

"But I am your brother now. That is all that matters to me." He sighed, remembering the enjoyable evening he had with everyone. "You know… I'm scared of the idea of me seeing him. What will I do? What will he do when he sees me? Maybe we could be friends?" He mused the idea for a moment, a saddened frown following right after. "No… I don't think so, yeah? We will try to kill each other as we did before."

As if she completely understood the weight of his words, Jully's happy looking expression changed into a sad pout. The girl held even tighter to his hand and began to cry as loud as her little lungs would let her.

"Sshh… You don't have to cry. I will take care of you… of everyone." He ran one finger on her warm cheeks, smiling comfortably to the crying baby. "And if I'm… gone. He will take care of you, I am sure he will." As if his words were a magic charm, Jully stopped crying and just closed her eyes, nodding off under his gentle touch.

Jumping back in the room from the same window he jumped out, Spiegel laid his baby sister on her beautiful white crib and kissed her softly on the forehead. "See you later, baby sister."

With his visit perfectly complete, the odd-colored trainer traveled with his gaze to the open window. This is not his place, not yet. In addition, something far more urgent is calling for is attention, something angry and impatient… With another nimble jump to get out of the house, he was gone.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	22. Starlight Garden

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

A few stray petals are starting to soar low in the air and the natural sunlight slowly being replaced by the multiple bright spots that are the improvised lamps spread in one large corridor, making a makeshift road to the dormant sea of flowers. Slowly by the minute, people are coming from every part of Hoenn to Ever Grande in hope of seeing the beautiful, almost magical, seasonal event of this little piece of heaven.

Ever Grande City, the symbolic last stop as the end of a journey, normally doesn't get even a fraction of this amount of visitors as it has today, and any outsider usually comes for the League' Castle at the tip of the mountain. However, today, especially for today, the isolated island has turned into a hotspot for the perfect touristic night.

Walking back to Ever Grande, the trio of trainers stopped at the edge of down, next to the already busy green avenue in between the flower's buds.

"That…. soured my mood." Ethan scratched the back of his head. With the appearance of an unexpected interloper, the idea of enjoying a happy time around flowers went down on the emotional drainer.

Ethan sitting with his back leaning against an empty bench, choosing to stay on the ground instead of the proper seat. Silver is standing close to his partner, at his right side. The redhead casually watching the coming and going of the civilians. And Brendan, who remained silent all the way back, is sitting on a bench right in front of Ethan, glaring at the raven-haired youth.

"What?" Ethan asked, shooting his gaze to the brown-haired trainer. "Liked my face or something?"

The subtle irony on Ethan's voice made Brendan frown. With his arms folded, he pressed his fingers against the skin of his arms. "Your friend, he recognized Kyogre with just one glance… As if he had an encounter with him before."

"Well, that's because we did." Ethan responded with a shrug. "Not an enjoyable one at that. Big blue face tried to drown us."

"He did, huh?" Locking his glare at the raven-haired man's face, Brendan stood up and walked close to him. "You're the owner Lugia, aren't you?"

"Owner? Pfft, that is a strong word. Lugia is a… friend. I would never call him my property."

Getting the proper confirmation, the usual calm person that is Brendan felt his nerves starting to boil again. "Never passed in your head to tell me that?" He reached down with this hand, grabbing the other man by the collar of his shirt.

"Oi, what are you think you're doing?" Silver stepped in, practically slapping his right hand onto Brendan's shoulder.

"Silver, please let him be." Ethan requested, more like ordered in a monotone voice carrying a bit chilling feel to it. The red-haired thought of arguing back, but a stern look from his partner convinced him to step away, although grunting in dissatisfaction. "And you." He glanced back at Brendan. "Why would I disclose any information like, if you never asked me? I can do many things, but mind-reading is not one of my gifts."

"Ahrg… Fine!" With a forceful push, the longhaired champion pushed the other man away, letting go of his shirt. " … it was Kyogre's doing or…"

"Man, don't ask something you won't like the answer for." Ethan eyed the other guardian with understanding eyes; he too would flip out of his mind if places in Johto were being blown up by strangers. "Look, that fiend was going to level that entire place not only the mountain. I had to do something about him, and that I did."

"Nobody got hurt." Silver jumped in. "We made sure to scare everyone out of the place before any of the fightings could happen."

Brendan's irritated features softened out, letting out a long defeated sigh, he stepped backward, sitting down onto the bench again. "One light of good news into this whole mess." He said.

"So…" Ethan said right after, with a curious grin. "There was actually one casualty." His voice caught Brendan's attention. The grey-eyed young man jolted on his seat, glancing upwards to the raven-haired, to his surprise Ethan was pointing a finger at him. "You… or someone that looked exactly like you."

"He's dead?!" Brendan jumped from his seat, his eyes widening a little too much.

"You don't sound too surprise hearing about another you…" Ethan glanced to Silver, who shrugged as if saying he had no idea what to say. "Care to explain a bit… if you want to, of course. Because I would feel super weird with another me running about the place."

"Those Rainbow Rocket clowns were somehow using my face to stir up trouble around Hoenn. Haven't you seen it on the TV?" Brendan vented out in frustration.

"That incident on Mauville City?" Silver inquired to which he received an energetic nod. "We only saw the Grunts taking over and flew there to help resolve the issue. Never caught a glimpse of that imposter of yours."

"If he is dead… then it doesn't matter. One less trouble to deal with." Brendan trailed off, running one hand over his brown hair. "And with you being the owne- er… friend of Lugia. Makes two of my most immediate problems solved." He frowned, thinking only to himself. 'Kyogre is now the worst of the problems.'

"Are you so sure about that?" Ethan asked with a serious face. "I mean, sure the guy who was passing as you is dead, I mean one-hundred percent dead. No one would survive that blast, however…"

Silver took the cue to jump in; he took a step forward entering on Brendan's point of view. "A few moments before the explosion, I peeled something out of that man's face." He did a motion as if he was taking something out with his hands. "He was using a mask, a very strange one. Felt like a second skin."

Brendan sighed again. Just when he felt like a problem had gone away… "Then, you're telling me that anyone can use a mask and become me?"

"It's not certain that there are other masks like that. But it is something to consider." Silver frowned after giving his reply, his thoughts venturing away to the image of his father and his methods. "When Giovanni is involved, you can expect anything."

"I learned that in the worst way possible." Ethan said with a sheepish smirk, a strange reaction considering the topic. "Never underestimate Team Rocket; they may seem like fools at first glance, but they do a lot of damage under the covers."

"Yeah… I can see that." Brendan said, hinting at the chaos this group has already sow onto Hoenn.

"Just remember Brendan, we're here to stop them too." Ethan said, giving the younger man a friendly grin. He raised his good arm, giving the brown-haired trainer thumbs up. "You can count on us in this mess. Giovanni will not have his way in your region."

"Heh… Thanks." Brendan grinned back. "I really appreciate the back-up. Even more from a fellow guardian." He clenched his eyes ever so slightly. 'Whatever a guardian may be.'

"You bet."

"Brendan?!" Zinnia's agitated and exhausted voice sounded from behind the line of people walking into the field of sleeping flowers. "It's you… It's really you." Pushing people on her way, the draconid girl ran like crazy to her lover, jumping on to him, as she got close enough. Her arms wrapping themselves on his neck. She snuggled the side of her cheek on the fabric of his shirt, the warm feeling of his chest making the woman smile. "I looked for you everywhere… I was getting so desperate." She said, almost sobbing.

Seeing her face after that whole ordeal in Lilycove startled the young champion at first. Would she hate him after his outburst, after he hit her… but seeing the exasperation in her actions as she hugged him ever so tightly, washed all of his worries away. With a small smile, somewhat conflicted on what to do, Brendan embraced her back, adjusting her weight onto him so she could sit properly on his lap.

"Zinnia… I." He swallowed some words, taking time to consider what to say next. "Sorry for lashing out on you. I was not thinking strai-"

Silencing his lips with one finger, Zinnia took her beautiful red eyes to look at his, her entire expression mellowing at the gaze of his handsome face. "Shh… you don't have to say anything. I know." Pushing herself even more against his chest, Zinnia leaned in, taking her lips onto his. They locked themselves into a soft kiss, like a little peck just enough to feel each other's warmth.

"Ahem…" Feeling very uncomfortable with the display of affection, Silver cleared his throat, loud and clear, making his point straight.

Pulling away from her boyfriend's face, Zinnia turned her head to the red-haired, eyeing him up and down. "Who the hell are you?" She asked, glaring at Silver.

Ethan made an obvious motion to stand up and move over to the girl, but he found himself pinned down against the ground with Silver's left hand firmly holding him down, preventing him from being… him. The pale red-haired man gave a glare that said 'You will not flirt with her', making his partner laugh sheep-faced with a cold drop of sweat running down from his forehead.

"They are… friends." Brendan said, getting the girls attention back to him. "Ethan and Silver are helping me with the Rainbow Rocket problem."

"Oh… I see." Her natural aggression dying down, her head falling over Brendan's chest once again. "Brendan, I need to talk to you." She asked with pleading eyes. "It is important."

"Sure, anything you want. I still need to make it up for you." He pressed his lips on her cheeks, kissing him softly again. "I will see you two later, okay?" He looked to Ethan and Silver. "I'm not ready to go after them just yet."

"Don't worry your pretty longhaired head." Ethan replied jokingly. "We will enjoy the festival on our own; you go give your girl the attention she wants. The bad guys will not disappear after one night."

"Thanks again Ethan, Silver. I still don't know what being a guardian means, but I will do my best to learn how to be one." Brendan looked down to Zinnia, smiling softly to her. "I have to, for everyone's sake."

Taking Zinnia's right hand, Brendan helped her stand up and follow right after. Together, with their hands intertwine, the couple walked further away from the crowd coming in, to one of the few places that only Brendan, after living for so many years on the mountainside, knows about.

Silver stepped to the side and sat on the bench, next to Ethan. His general attitude changing from its normal way too stern and stressed, to a more relaxed one, something that clearly shows on his face. "So… what we do now?" He asked his partner, who turned his head and gave him a pouting face. "Calm down, I'm talking about the festival. I will not force you to leave."

"How about, anything?" Ethan grinned, shifting from his spot on the ground to the same bench as Silver. "No planning today, let's just enjoy the scene and eat some candies."

"That would be…. Interesting." Silver mused the idea with a little grin parting his lips apart.

Leaning in, Ethan resting his right arm on his red-haired friend's shoulder. "So why don't you go over one of those stands and get something for us?"

"What, why?"

"Don't be stingy. My arm still hurts and I think my legs are going bad too." Faking pained whimpers, Ethan slid himself slightly closer to his partner. The raven-haired youth tried to stroke a guilty feeling on Silver, which after a few sobs and rubs on his broken arm, successfully got to pale red-haired.

"Goddammit Ethan, are you really going to play 'that card' with me all the time now?" Silver hissed in exasperation.

Ethan grinned, going back to his spot with all the pain miraculously going away. "It's your own fault for being so obvious about it."

"Fine… I will get your stupid junk food." Not pleased with the utter shift of power on their partnership, Silver sucked up the irritation and decided to comply with his stupid rival's wishes. The red-haired stood up, fuming from his ears yet blushing ever so slightly.

"Silver." Ethan called out.

Silver stopped on his tracks but decided to not turn and look to Ethan or else the golden-eyed fiend would see the red line in his cheeks and a completely new headache would start.

"Could you lend me your phone for a moment?"

"Hã?! What you want with my phone?" Silver turned around, one brow raised as he eyed his grinning friend.

"I need to check something." Ethan pulled a small disc from his pockets; the same one Brendan had left on the table. "Mine can't read this thing, but yours probably can. You bragged quite a lot about it having the most innovative technology."

"I will assume that what you need to see is of the utmost importance, so take it." Silver pulled out a big cellphone with a black case and tossed it to Ethan. "Just don't break it."

"Okaaay!" Doing a silly voice, Ethan gave his partner a sheepish salutation.

Grunting some more, Silver turned on his heels. Leaving his aloof partner behind, the red-haired youth trailed over to the various stands at the new-made street just to the festival. From popcorn and grilled dishes to cotton candy and candy apples, the scent filling the place is entrancing, almost mesmerizing.

Contrary to Ethan constant need for sweet food, Silver has little taste for celebration treats and all that. Yet, he followed an invincible trail with his nose, a mildly sweet scent that led him to the cozy pinky stall of an old couple.

"Good evening young lady." The skinny old man clapped his hands together, giving a warm smile as a welcome. "What could we help you with?"

The granny as his side, dressed up in a flowery ceremonial robe, slapped the man softly at his arm. "Dann, for everything that is good, please don't be daft."

"Uh? What?" Dann rubbed his arm with a frown in his expression. His clean baldhead sparkling with the light of the small light bulb hovering over them. "Noah, your hand gets heavier by the year. Geez."

"Please young man, forgive my old husband. His eyes are not the same as they once were." The old woman named Noah bowed her head to Silver in apology, her face showing a few more wrinkles in concern.

"I… don't mind." The red-haired responded, folding his arms.

"A guy?!" Dann exclaimed excessively loud. "But he looks so beautiful."

Noah shot a fierce glare to her goofy husband, turning right back to Silver giving him another bow of apology. "Anyway, what would you like to taste first?'" She changed quite quickly to her business persona, and with a bright smile on her lips, she began to show the trays of sweets from behind the counter. "I think you really going to like this cinnamon bread." Noah cut a small size from a comically big brown bread and offered it to Silver on the tip of a fork.

"Or maybe a slice of this juicy crystalized banana." Dann jumped in, offering a square sugared candy.

Silver's eyed widened as the old couple began to push new types of food at him, one after the other as if they had started a weird type of competition between the two. His little curiosity has earned him more trouble than the red-haired had bargained for. For the duration of ten, very, long minutes, Silver had to endure the mature couple argues like a pair of small kids, but all in good spirits and trying to sell him the larger amount of foods possible.

With exhausted eyes, from the mental exercise of handling those two, Silver walked back from the stalls with a large brown bag in his arm and a piece of bread hanging from his mouth. He made back to the benches only to found Ethan completely engrossed with something on Silver's phone.

Taking in the piece of bread in one bite, the red-hair cleared his throat. "I'm back." He eyed his partner with a raised brow. Ethan didn't even acknowledge Silver's presence, despite the pale youth sitting at his side. "I brought your stupid food." He said pushing the bag to the person at his side, again no response. "What is so good that is keeping your attention so muc-"

Silver's mouth fell down; he simply could not believe his eyes.

Thin lines of a fair tanned skin shifted graciously as a pair of hands explored her naked body. A gasp followed, together with a wanting whisper. One hand waving upwards, grasping firmly at flocks of short black hair. Both people moaned in unison, the pleasure filling them up, the sensation almost maddening. Smiling at each other, the naked woman and the naked man locked themselves into a passionate kiss.

"ETHAN!" Silver shouted at the top of his lungs, probably the first time in his life that his voice reached such pitch. "What hell are you watching on my phone?!"

"Wa-wa-wait! This is not what it looks." Ethan instantly put the phone down, raising his hands, well the only hand he could rise up.

"Not what is looks?!" Silver flared up, his face red as a tomato. "You asked for my phone to watch P-" He held his tongue for a moment, dreading the thought of yelling that word with kids wandering about. "You're watching porn." Silver said in a rushed whisper.

"Listen, this is not porn…" Ethan rebuked, he reached with his hand to pull Silver closer, but the red-haired yanked his hand away. "Okay, this is two people having sex… but it is not porn. Just look at it."

"I will not-"

Ethan cut his friend by grabbed him by his hand again, now with a much tighter grasp. "Just stop being a stubborn hardhead and come here."

More than uncomfortable with the situation, Silver sat down again, taking the phone on his hands and disgruntled by Ethan's persistence, resumed the paused video. As he heated action commenced anew, Silver frowned and growled.

"I can't believe you're watching this outdoors!"

"Shut up and look closely." Ethan said with an annoyed hiss. "Have you noticed anything? Like the people doing it?"

Seeing a familiar semblance at the male's hair, Silver clenched his vision, getting even closer to the screen. "Is this that Brendan kid?"

"And that feisty girl of his."

Silver glared at his partner. "Ethan, how the hell you got this?"

"Woah, slow there. This is not mine." Ethan raised his hand in defense again, trying to shield himself from the piercing gaze of the red-haired. "Brendan forgot this disc on that table earlier; I just… recovered it for him."

A tired sigh came from Silver as he rested his face against the palm of his hand. "You're distasteful… to pry on someone's property like this. And that kid is strange himself, who would record this and leave it on the open?"

"That is the point." Ethan proclaimed proudly. "That, while it was in his possession, this disc is not his." With a fast move, he snatched the phone back and paused the video again. "Remember the showy girl talking with him before we moved in? She was the one that gave this to him. Since you were sitting with your back to them, you couldn't see it."

"So what? She is blackmailing him with his… intimate video?" Silver furrowed his brows.

"A possibility, but I don't think so." Showing the screen again, now even pointing at a specific point, Ethan turned to Silver. "I got in my head that this guy is not Brendan. I tried to look very closely at it, even replayed from the start, yet I could not find something that would prove this." His golden eyes shined with confidence as he spoke. "However, I am almost certain that this is not Brendan."

Focusing his eyes at the static image, Silver stared intently at this 'Brendan'. He pondered about it for as hard as he could. "As absurd as you sound right now… I think you may be right." He closed the video and took the disc out of his phone. "And if this is not Brendan."

"That girl was trying to do naughty things with this disc. I imagine Brendan would not take too kindly on this stuff." Ethan added in. "Think she is a member?"

"Probably… only Team Rocket would step so low." A rushing feeling of anger took over the pale redhead. Any time he hears another casualty of his father's 'anything for the mission' mentality, it feels Silver with nothing but shame. "What will you do with this?" He asked, handing over the disc to his partner.

Ethan grinned, holding the little thing up in the air. "The right thing, of course." With a pinch of his finger, he smashed the disc into little pieces. "I got your back for today, kid." He said aloud, even though it was more like a thought he wished to send to Brendan. "So." The cheerfulness coming back to Ethan's self, as if this unfortunate matter had never existed. "Let's enjoy the evening just the two of us, no Rainbow Rocket nor Giovanni to ruin the mood."

"As if I could take this out my head now." Silver replied with a disgruntled voice. Lowering his head to gaze at the ground, the red-haired failed to notice his partner getting closer and leaning in.

"Then, let me help you with that." It was quick, somewhat too quick for Silver to register. But Ethan pulled his chin up and crazed his lips with a soft peck. "This is for being so kind to me." He whispered ever so close to the other boy's face, his breath ticklish at the pale skin.

Burning red and mute from reactions, Silver eyed Ethan with plate-wide eyes. He touched his lips with two fingers, still feeling the warmth of the other's lips. Then it hit him where they are and how many people are still around them, which made the red-haired jump out from his spot and turn to the opposite direction from his crazy rival.

"Ohh, chocolate cakes with frosting on top." Ethan sang happily, taking the bag of sweets on his hands. Apparently, he isn't slightly fazed from their quick kiss. Something ridiculous to Silver, who is having the hardest of times to keep a straight face, despite how fast his heart is beating.

Unluckily for the distressed pale feminine boy, this is most likely not the last time Ethan will do something like this. There is no amount of arguing that will knock an idea out of the golden-eyed champion's head when he makes his mind.

And at this very moment, Ethan's eyes are very transparent about what is going on inside his head, with his brightly glowing orbs clearly saying 'You look so cute blushing like that.'

* * *

"I missed you…" Brendan breathed softly onto Zinnia's neck; the couple still wrapped in a tight embrace. "With all the craziness happening all around me, I barely had time to think of anything. But holding you in my arms right now… I missed this so much."

Having walked to the other border of the massive natural garden, they decided to sit on the shadow of a large oak tree. Brendan sitting directly under the leaves with his back leaning against the large brown trunk, and Zinnia sat at his side with her legs crossed and her eyes constantly changing from the almost blooming buds and the darkened figure of her lover.

"Me too, I… missed you." She said weakly. Although the sentiment was not fake in any way, Zinnia did, in fact, missed the days she sole monopolized Brendan's time with her crazy stunts, her heart still weighs heavily with guilty. "I am sure Aster misses you too. When I last saw her, she was terrified because your disappearance."

"Aster… another friend I hurt with my recklessness." He sighed deeply, remembering the little pink ball that always jumps directly at his chest whenever she sees him. "Is she okay?"

Zinnia nodded, grinning with the thought of her little girl. "She is a tough girl you know. But she was very stubborn about waiting for you are your house. Nothing I said made Aster walk from the entrance door."

"Heh, then we should hurry back home… At least we should hurry back, whenever the flowers bloom." Brendan glanced down to the silent field on the hill in front of them, the little buds sparkling with the moonlight; as if the stars had descended from the sky, pretty lines formed on the glows of the flowery buds, making them own set of strange patterns like grounded constellations.

This scenery never grows old in the champion's eyes, each year he makes sure to be present and each year the beauty of the events manages do leave him dumbstruck. Silently gazing at his side, Zinnia is also lost for words, but not from the growing flowers, no. Her eyes are fixated on Brendan's form, the shape of his features and more especially, on the glow of his eyes.

Grey, sharp and pretty, are the first words that come to her mind as she looks to his eyes. But there also more, they look tired, matured and somewhat scarred.

"Your eyes… They look so different from his." In a slip of her tongue, Zinnia whispered the words louder than what she wanted.

"From who's?" Brendan replied with a little grin; his grey eyes still focused on the sleeping flowers below them.

She bit her lips, cursing her big mouth for saying anything. In a mere minute, Zinnia thought of more than a dozen things to say and each left a sour taste in her mouth. In a mild panic, her eyes traveled away from Brendan, averting him for as much as possible, as if for some reason that would make the problem go away. And with a glimpse of something on the back of her vision, came the solution to her problems.

"Brendan… There is a perv old man staring at us." Zinnia said in a rushed tone, holding one hand in front of her mouth. She noticed her boyfriend's body shudder and his browns furrow. That was a winning stroke. "There, to your right. He is looking right at us."

More or less than six feet away from the couple's chosen spot, a lone man was sitting with his elbows resting on the grass, holding his upper body firm on his stance. At his side sat an old clay bottle with a wooden skull as its cap.

Shuffling uncomfortably in his long black coat, the old ran a pair of fingers over his white mustache. "I would appreciate if you wouldn't call me a perverted old man."

"Drake?!" Brendan looked at the old sailor, surprise to see him. "Ah… What are you doing here?" The young champion still eyed his colleague with a bit of suspicion.

"I was here far before you came in with the missus. Shouldn't I be the one giving you judging eyes from your lack of manners?" The dragon tamer huffed annoyingly on his spot and took a long sip from his clay bottle.

"Sorry, I really didn't saw you there." Scratching the back of his head, Brendan gave a short smile to the old man, who nodded back as if letting the youngster know that he accepted the apology. "But, hey. I didn't know you watched the festival. Sorry for saying this, but it doesn't really suit your image."

"Appearances can be deceiving. You, more than anyone else, should know that. Right, mister unbeatable champion despite your baby face." Drake gave him a bright grin, showing his sharp teeth. Taking another shot from his mysterious drink, the veteran trainer changed his gaze away from the couple but gave a low grunt as notifying that his attention was still with them. "Brendan, the league staff has been in an uproar this last few days. Poor girl Haru is at her wit's end trying to get a hold of you. We had to postpone more than two matches past the Elite Four because our champion has been missing."

"The league... I understand where you coming from. But on these days, I have been trying my best to solve this mess around Hoenn." Brendan frowned as he gave his reply. "I can't do that and still be in Ever Grande for the league."

"I get it. You're saving the world and all that deal. I saw some of it on the TV." Draken chuckled softly. His stern expression unreadable, as he watched over a few of the buds blossoming slowly. "However, you're still our champion. And that is one of your most important duties." The old dragon tamer frowned ever so slightly, moving his right hand to his white hat laying on the grass. "The young kids starting their journeys, the youthful teenagers trying their best to become worth of getting over here to Ever Grande, and even the adults that still dreams of facing against the very best. Brendan, to all these people, you are their hero."

Brendan opened his mouth to say something back, but nothing came out. He only stared down, feeling embarrassed for forgetting about this. He felt a tug on his left arm, a soft hand laying on top of his. He looked to the side and saw Zinnia looking at him, smiling with all her warmth to him. Her beautiful red eyes pushing away the troubled feeling growing in his chest.

"Listen, kiddo. I know that your life is a heck more complicated than the one of this old fool here." Drake said pointing to himself. "But even with all that's happening around you, you need to stand firm and tall for all those dreamers out there. Like Steven, despite all his troubles, stood up and watched over your own journey."

"Without Steven, I would be more than lost in my life right now." Brendan closed his eyes, remembering vivid memories of all the times Steven, out of nowhere, stepped in from behind tall bushes, more than ready to help the young Brendan on his difficult path. The sight of a grown-up adult hiding inside a pack of green leaves still cracks a goofy smile on the champion's lips. "Thank you, Drake. I guess, in a way, I was diverting away from the right path."

"Heh, don't sweat it. Just make sure to make an appearance on the League's halls tomorrow or those poor ladies will lose their minds." With a satisfied sigh of relief, Drake pulled himself up from the grassy ground. He tossed his hat up on top of his head, which landed a bit crooked with front tap covering his left eye. "You kids have a good evening and enjoy the spectacle."

"They're just starting to bloom, are you really going to leave now?" Brendan asked as he noticed a few more flowers slowly starting to wake up from their long sleep.

"Seeing their last hour as little buds it the real magic to me." Fixing his hat and taking the bottle from the ground; Drake turned around and began to walk away. "See you tomorrow, Champion." With a lone wave of his free hand, the old dragon tamer vanished into the direction of Ever Grande City.

"Quite the show off that old man, huh?" Zinnia commented with a happy grin. Even if she is not that fond of strangers, she has to admit that the old dragon has style. "But he looks like a good guy."

"That he is. Drake is an amazing person and a great teacher too." Brendan glanced back to his lover and smile. With a swoop of his left arm, he pulled the unexpected draconid girl back to his arms. "He taught me a whole lot about dragons, you know." His tone came out very suggestive, his gaze being even more.

If Zinnia was not in the mood to get 'closer', she certainty got in it very quickly. Her arms, as if they had a will of their own, snaked their way across his neck, pulling the red-eyed girl even closer to his face. Brendan moved the rest of the way and planted his lips on hers. With their kiss getting more passionate, more intimate, the young lovers forgot about everything other than themselves.

While Brendan and Zinnia enjoyed each other company, the field right below them started to glow with an even brighter light. One after another, all the flowers began to open and spread their petals. Blue, red, pink, yellow… and a flowering wave of colors washed over the open field, the moonlight resonating with all of them, making a fantastical show light.

As a jolt of pleasuring sensation ran over Zinnia's body, she moaned inside Brendan's mouth. His reaction was to move his hands lower, the right one slightly grazing on top of her left breast, the left one slowly sliding down over her back, making its way to her waist. With a powerful grip on her side, Zinnia gasped. Her head zoning out for a moment, as something warm flustered her insides.

"Wait... please." She pulled away from his kiss, leaving Brendan more than disappointed and his face showed that. "Brendan it's not that I don't like it." She placed a hand on his cheek.

"Then why did you pull away?" He eyed her with anticipation. Even if Brendan tried to hide his frustration, the throbbing pack on his pants gives him away.

"We came out here to talk, remember?" She gave him an apologetic little smile. "I want nothing more than to throw myself at you and lose my mind in your warmth."

"I vote for talking later." Brendan moved in again, placing small kisses on her neck. "And enjoy the warmth of each other now."

She squealed under his kisses. Giggling away like a silly infatuated girl, Zinnia still slipped away from his embrace. "I can't… not until we talk this through." Even if her chest was claiming to give in, the draconid girl stood her ground, much to her lover's disappointment, again.

"Ah…" He gave a huge sigh, leaning backwards to the tree again. "Okay. I am all ears." He looked back to Zinnia, even in utter frustration, he still managed a lovingly smile to his precious one.

"Okay… but promise me that no matter what I say, you will believe me." Zinnia said, already getting afraid of his reaction. She turned her face away just slightly but continued to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"I promise." Brendan said simply.

* * *

" **Your cries of anguish… I heard them."** A deep voice echoed from below the seawater. On the surface, nothing more than a few bubbling little waves are at view. **"Your pain, your hatred. They are as deep as my own."**

Spiegel stood at the edge of the green thick forest at the south of Littleroot, his feet quite literately halfway into the shallow water bashing against the small groove slope before the ocean.

He eyed the dark blue waters, skeptical of this voice. "How did you know my pain?" He snorted. "How would you even know anything about me?"

The little bubbling waves changing, evolving into a more drastic and wild movement of water. **"Because we are the same."** A little tip of an even darker blue appeared on the water. **"Beings mirrored by hated opposites. Where should be only one, there is two."**

"How do you know about this?" Spiegel took a single step backward, his eyes fixated on the small darker blue spot.

" **You can feel my presence. What makes you think that I cannot feel yours? Or the presence of you other self?"** Kyogre decided to show more than half of himself, his deep yellow eyes glaring at the young man. **"Accept your fate, guardian. We are kindred spirits, bonded together by an undying hatred for our enemies."**

"Bonded, huh?" A weak chuckled escaped. "You think you can defeat Groudon?" He asked with a defiant smirk.

" **I WILL DESTROY THAT THING!"** A monstrous screech echoed in the air, Kyogre fully rising to the surface. **"That abomination is nothing more than a coward, slipping away when he needs. Getting the help of lesser beings to match my power."** His furious rant slowly calmed down, half of his body submerging back in the sea. **"It is my destiny to kill Groudon and reign over this world."**

"And my fate to kill Brendan." Spiegel added in, his head lowering enough to hide the upper part of his face in a darkening expression. "I will work with you, Kyogre. I can't destroy that person with Groudon in my way. And you can't possibly match the molten primal without me."

Kyogre jolted upwards again, the little human testing the limits of his patience. **"Without this decrepit form jailing me away from my real form, I can easily destroy him."** His yellow eyes burning with passionate hatred, he glanced down to Spiegel. **"Yet, for that to happen. I need you."** He calmed down once again, lowering even more than before, keeping just the upper part of his body in the surface.

"I will help you, but first we need to find the blue orb." Spiegel's eyes darkened once again, his tone changing to a deadly one. "My orb." He glared at Kyogre, who just watched the courage of this little person. "Now, for that to happen. I will need something more from you." He said with a wicked grin.

" **Speak, human."**

"This." He pulled a cerulean Poké-Ball out of his pockets. "I will need you to go inside of this."

" **You wish to imprison me?! As that buffoon got himself caged?"** Kyogre growled louder again, his never almost running wild.

"I can't carry you around with all that size, can I?" The duo-colored eyed youth replied with a shrug. "Make your choice. Primal of the Deeps."

Minutes of silence followed Spiegel words, the primal contemplating smashing this person like a bug he is. However, that, he did not do. Kyogre slowly approached the slope, getting his head very close to the defiant trainer. **"Tread carefully, guardian. Even inside that small thing, I can still make your life a living hell."**

"I know you can, Kyogre." Spiegel chuckled at the threat. With a light bop on the massive Pokémon' head, he 'captured' the giant titan into the cerulean colored Poké-Ball. Having collected his prize, he gave a long sigh. "For how long have you been there?" He threw the question in the air.

"Since you started to speak with the wind." Wally stepped out of the darkness, getting in front of his old friend. "I heard someone breaking a window of professor Birch's lab, coming out to see what happened, I saw you walking by yourself into the woods."

"Ah… this is unfortunate." Spiegel eyed his friend with saddened eyes. "I… didn't want you to see this."

Wally frowned, taking a step closer. "What was this about?" He asked. "You're speaking of killing Brendan… I don't understand."

"I am not Brendan. Not the Brendan you know." Spiegel answered bluntly, his resolve never wavering. "Someone tried to make a copy of Brendan, they failed the first time. But as you can see, they didn't fail for very long."

"If you're not Brendan. What is your name?" The tea-green haired youth asked.

"Spiegel." He responded with a weak grin. "A proper name, for someone that is nothing more than a reflection, don't you think?"

Wally remained impassive, staring at this 'copy' of his friend with stern eyes. He showed no signs of disbelief but didn't sound his opinion either.

"Wally, what I said earlier… I meant every word, each one of them." Spiegel bit his lower lip, glancing downwards to the ground. "Even if you… even if I am not your childhood friend. I still want to be your friend." Getting no response from the green-haired trainer, Spiegel sighed again in frustration. He shook his head to awaken himself from his pitied state and started to walk past Wally.

"Are you going to fight Brendan?" Wally asked as the other man stood at his side.

The question forced the blue-and-red-eyed youth to stop, and even without turning his head to the side, he responded. "I will." His voice came out somewhat shaken. "Brendan's every memory… Brendan's feelings and dreams. I have all of them inside of me. I have to fight because I have a reason of being."

Having said what he wanted, Spiegel resumed his pace. The longhaired man disappeared inside the forest, leaving a conflicted Wally behind.

Wally wavered shortly. Keeping a straight face was taking everything he had in him, there was no way he would not feel heavily impacted by this discovery. "What… should I do with this?" He took both hands to his face and screamed on his palms, muffling his voice enough to sound like nothing more than ragged breathing.

* * *

"No… this isn't right." Brendan said, shaking his head in denial. "The guys, passing as me. He is dead. He died at Mt. Pyre."

"Brendan, you promised me." Zinnia tugged on his arm, looking at him with pleading eyes. "This person… he was not impersonation you, it was not the same as that man that I fought on Mauvile." She raised his hand to his face and forced him to look at her. "That man… he was you."

Brendan jerked himself away, growling in frustration. "He was not me, I was not there!" He spat angrily. "Zinnia, what are trying to say?"

"I know this sounds crazy, but is the truth." Zinnia crawled closer to her lover again, carefully taking hold of his hands. "The way he spoke… the look in his eyes. Everything about him is just like you. A little more childish and innocent, but still you."

"This is ridiculous… How can someone." Brendan was more than ready to refute her words again until some pieces began to match inside his head. "You thought he was me…" He glanced down, his gray eyes almost piercing her flesh with a fierce gaze. "What did you do with him?"

The coldest chill ran down the draconid woman's spine. She felt herself dwarfs under that glare. Zinnia swallowed hard, she wanted to place everything out in the open, no matter how bad things would go, or if Brendan would never forgive her for it. It is the right thing to do. "Nothing, we did nothing." However, she lied. "We spent a lot of time talking, and then I realized something was different about him. I didn't know what to do Brendan… I just walked away."

"Dammit Zinnia. What is he doing right now? with whom? He has my freaking face, how could you let him get away?" Brendan fell on his back, scowling at the bright little dots in the sky. "Sorry… for yelling at you again." His face fell; again, Brendan hates himself for his lack of control over his emotions.

"You don't need to apologize… I understand." With her heart breaking apart, Zinnia maintained a cool expression. She scooted very closely to Brendan, lying right next to him in hopes of his presence washing away the guilt inside her heart.

" **He is coming for you..."** A deep, evil voice echoed inside Brendan's mind and together with it an excruciating headache.

Brendan's entire body shook violently, his hands flying to his head. "Ghhh… Stop..." He pressed his fingers into his hair, desperately trying to push the voice away.

"Brendan?!" Zinnia watched in horror as his left eye began to glow with a red light, his expression writhing painfully.

" **I feel the other presence getting stronger. He has joined himself with my hated rival."** Groudon continued, making Brendan scream with the pain. **"Prepare yourself to unleash me upon this world... or your weakness will be the end… for both of us."**

Brendan gasped soundly, the voice fading away but the pain remaining as strong as ever. The traumatic experience is so strong this time that a thick line of blood began to run down from his nose. He desperately reached down for one of his pockets, pulling out the dark Poké-Ball and holding it close to his chest.

"That monster again…" Zinnia wrapped her arms around her lover, praying that her embrace would ease his pain, she stroke his hair with one hand. "Don't worry Brendan. I am here now… You will not carry this burden alone anymore. You will never be alone again."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	23. Secret Mission

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Isn't this a exciting chapter? So many new things to do and put in and the first 'big' time skip I ever made in this story. In light of this big change, I thought of making a special chapter._

_So here is the deal, I would like to "play" a little game with you that is reading this chapter. At each arc of this chapter, I will put the link to youtube to a specific music and I will like for you to listen to the music while you read this part. This is like a little bit of a push in immersion and ambiance for you. Obviously I won't force anyone to do this as it is the call of each individual reading this, still I would like you to at least try._

_Another important aspect that this chapter will bring moving forward. Until now, I had ignored most of Pokémon commentary and all that, seeing that only Ethan and Spiegel were able to understand them. But with incoming events that will change... a lot. So from here on forward, their voices will be heard._

_With that in mind, Pokémon speech is in Bold. Doesn't matter in what context, if angry, happy, or neutral. They are all in Bold._

* * *

"Have you seen anything yet?" A tired-looking female grunt slid away from her appropriate post on the other side of the dark-brown rocky formation.

Her shift-partner shifted her gaze to her and gave an exhausted shake of his head. "No… nothing." As he spoke up, it was as if his soul was leaking out of his body from his mouth, the infernal heat of the desert taking its toll on the poor unprepared man. "Are you sure that the thing is today? I mean, nothing changed so far."

"Shush, this is supposed to be a secret." The woman hissed at him. Scowling at the man careless mouth. "I only know of this because I luckily overheard the officers talking about it."

"You're snooping around where you shouldn't, you mean." The male Grunt gave her a snarky grin. "They would kill you if they ever dream that you were eavesdropping."

With a twirl of her heel, she gave her back to him and slowly stepped away. "That's why you will be shushed about it." She said just before turning on a corner and getting out of vision.

"Of course I will, they would kill me too if I opened my beak."

* * *

(Legend of Mana - Calmly Traveling) ======= watch?v=lZSRfX50bK4

* * *

Snaking around the mid-day kinds of hot sand, a little blur of dark and lighter brown traveled inconspicuous through the desert dunes, leaving only stray lines in its path that quickly faded away from the occasionally heavy blowing wind that carried lots of sand onto it.

Tiny ears plopped out from the warm sand; they twitched at each little sound as a natural sonar scanning the area. Feeling more than safe to scoop the environment even further, the little sneaking Pokémon showed the tip of his head, sharp blue eyes staring at the, finally, right place to be.

" **Shady little place that one, huh…"** Having been on more than four wrong locations already, Linoone kept his hopes in check, yet a surging feeling of accomplishment began to heat inside his little chest.

His perceiving gaze watches patiently the lone figure just outside a perfectly, pristine without any holes, wall of rock at the base of a desert mountain.

 **"Don't humans say that dark colored clothes make them warmer?"** He fiddled around with his little paws, staring even more at the unwary man. **"So why is that one wearing full black clothing under this burning sun?"**

Digging himself back to his little sand tunnel, Linoone decided to scurry closer to this suspicious location and suspicions man. As a matter of precaution, the brown rodent kept his little ears outside the tunnel, carefully waiting.

"Hey, Sarah!" The dehydrated man shouted. "Can I go back inside already?" He pleaded with his tongue sticking out, most likely for the need of water.

"Stop yelling you brick head." The woman shouted from behind the corner she went into. "This is supposed to be a secret base."

Inside his cozy little spot underground, a furtive little guy jolted with joy. **"Bingo."**

Fast little paws working at full speed, the line of bumpy sand stretched itself even further in, zigzagging like crazy on its way, Linoone has barely any idea where he is going which is making his job a tad bit harder.

With his little blue eyes locked on the prize, figuratively speaking because his eyes are closed shut below two palms of sand, Linoone shot in a straight line, digging away furiously in all intention to reach the base of the mountain in one go. And that he did, what he didn't account for was a huge rock that was peacefully sitting on the surface part of his path which casually fell on top of his head when he dug right under it.

" **WHO'S THAT?"** Linoone shouted ready for combat.

His brave battle cry didn't pass unheard; the sleepy Grunt keeping watch over the secret base actually caught the sound of his voice, although for him sounded more like a high-pitched squeal than a courageous boast.

"Sarah?" The Grunt asked, scratching the top of his head, even with his head still on. He looked around with suspicious eyes and a raised brow for good measure. "Hum… maybe this sun is getting to my head." The skinny man turned around, puffing away with hot breath. "Jeez, I need some water."

Out and about, but still inconspicuous, Linoone pressed his left side at the cool brown wall and with the skill of a true shadow stalker, he skedaddle away from the black-clad ever so slightly at the corner of the wall, the little rodent eyed the patrolling woman making her route back from the other end of her path.

" **Extra careful now, not all of them will be as dumb as that other human."** He gave a little glance to said dumb guard, the man is resting his back against the wall; the poor soul is turning to mush with the combination of the heat and exhaustion.

Making a new tunnel for himself once again, Linoone went under the sand, this time keeping his entire head out.

" **This won't do…"** He thought, as even a baby would notice his head swimming about the ground. His curious little eyes wandered to a stone sitting cozily under the san, this one smaller and lighter than the mighty foe, he just faced. **"That's it!"**

In a stroke of his own genius, the crafty Pokémon grabbed the rock and put it on top of his head. The perfect camouflage. No one would notice a stone sliding away, right?

With his ingenious plan in action, the sneaking thief slowly crawled onwards, his heart beating getting fast at each inch as he is getting closer and closer to the now visible grey door, but also to the grumpy looking woman, who is marching her way back to him.

' **Nothing to see here… Just a happy little rock going in a walk…'**

Sarah, maybe the grumpiest Grunt in Rainbow Rocket, eyed the sliding stone coming her way. She stopped walking, and placed one hand at her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun, she stared at it with curious eyes.

"What is that?" She asked, stepping closer to the rock.

" **Just a rock."** Linoone answered her question with a… difficult to convince lie.

Well, luckily to the furred silver-tongued agent, the woman only heard a muffled little cry. She squinted her eyes, rubbed two fingers on her forehead and blow out in frustration. "This sun… is getting to my head." Choosing to ignore the squealing rock, Sarah continued on her route, now with an itching feeling to be done with her shift and get out of the sun.

" **By Arceus, are all humans stupid?"** Despite his initial complaint, Linoone continued on his path, leaving behind a grumpy, and now confused, woman.

Doing an exceptional job in his stealthy ways, or getting lucky as hell, the brown rodent managed to get at the base entrance. Now one of the hardest parts of his ordeal has begun, with his little size and lack of thumbs, how will he open the door?

" **This thing! Looks so hard, I don't think I can dig under it."** He contemplated the thought of smashing his claw at the door. **"You never know until you tried."** Even with the right assumption in mind, he still decided to do the dumb thing. Dumping his rock-hat at the ground, Linoone jumped out of his tunnel, but one of his legs got stuck in its way out, launching him forward onto the metallic surface.

In a rushed panic, Linoone pushed his forward paws in front of him, trying to avoid smashing his nose against the door. A little 'thump' followed as he touched the cold steel and with his touch, the door slid open to the left, clearing the way in.

" **So easy."** He enjoyed himself in the glory of his success. **"Now, where is this ball thingy."**

* * *

(Chrono Cross - Viper Mansion) ====== watch?v=xQYaPQmqSbY

* * *

Grey colorless walls and floors, this place stretches itself in all sorts of corners and turner, everything looking the same, boringly the same. Contrary to the burning hot climate from the desert outside, these halls are cold and somewhat humid, a hazy unnatural fog making the air dump and weird.

Even for a brave Pokémon as Linoone, this place is chilling in all kinds of wrong ways.

" **I ain't scared."** He said loudly… To himself, presumably.

Tiptoeing inside the hallway, clearly not scared of anything, the bravest el-gato in all Hoenn watched every turn he passed by. Some corners lead to even more long hallways, others to a short dead-end with a group of Grunts guarding the doors.

Slithering silently between the strangely empty main hallways, Linoone traveled far inside the gigantic underground building. In his not at all nervous state, he continued to chant how easy this will be and how no one will see even a trace of his shadow.

"Oh, what are you doing here little guy?" Apparently, his super stealthy skills failed him for a moment, and a very tall man dressed in red clothes found him at the crossing with a narrow turn in this grey seemingly endless path. "Did you get lost?" The cheerful friendly Grunt crouched to the little Pokémon level, resting both of his knees on the cold floor.

" **I wasn't really supposed to talk with you strange lot, but to tell the truth I'm kinda lost here."** Resting one of his paws on the man kneecap, mind very carefully that his sharp little claws would not scratch him, Linoone scooted a bit closer to the Grunt. **"Say champ, haven't you seen a strange blue ball around here?"** A straight question, very forward and to the point. A shame that anything the human heard sounded as a rampage rambling of Pokémon cries.

The absolutely huge pole of a man did a very uncharacteristic sound. He squealed, loud and sharp, his eyes sparkling with little bright stars as he fawned over the very serious furred secret agent. "Aren't you the cutest thing I've seen all year?" He poked Linoone in his cheek, squealing at fluffiness of the Pokémon' fur.

Disappointed, to say the least, Linoone completely disregarded the man's comments. **"This… is going nowhere."** He turned his tail around and walked away from the happy carefree human.

"See you around, sir." The Grunt said, waving his right hand happily.

" **Don't think so. But have a good day, champ."**

Rolling his eyes at the unfruitful exchange, Linoone continued on his 'difficult to navigate' straight path.

"This place is quite nice." A male voice sounded from one of the halls up ahead. Stepping sounds echoed ever so closely to the main hallway, startling our furred hero.

Panicking, or better putting, acting with fast response in a situation of high pressure, Linoone jumped at the left wall, kick with his feet, wall jumping to the right one and doing it again to jump at the hanging reflector at the ceiling.

"I feel ya, we got all sorts of new equipment here." A jovial sounding woman replied to her comrade.

"Even better, we got all sorts of new Pokémon. Look how strong mine looks." A third grunt said quite loudly, a chirp grin on his lips.

The trio clad red clothes walked down the hallway. With the merging of the two groups more and more Team Magma member is starting to come back to their old lives and all of them are regrouping under this mountain's secret base.

" **That was close."** With a sigh of relief, Linoone let go of his not very trusting hanging support, landing safely on the cold floor.

" **What were you doing up there?"** A rugged deep voice sounded from behind the unknowingly Linoone.

Doing a triple three hundred-sixty turn, Linoone glanced to the tall and frightening Arcanine. Despite all his braveness, he gulped hard and slid ever so slightly backward.

" **I was, er… Just getting used to the view."** He spat out the first thing that came to mind. **"New, yeah! I'm new here, just got sent in from… somewhere else…"**

Staring down at him, Arcanine stood still with an unreadable look on his face. **"Yeah… I'm sure you were."** His stern-looking face looking scarier by the second, his left eye being just a large clawed scar doing little to help on that department. **"Just watch yourself kid."** With an uninterested snort, the powerful fire Pokémon turned around and began to step away.

" **Hey, wait."** Trying to dash after the intimidating Pokémon, his sharp little claws only grazed the somewhat slippery floor, his body barely moving an inch. **"What's wrong with this ground?"** Linoone hissed in frustration.

" **Use the middle part of your paws, not the tip."** The big dark-orange dog said. Eying the small creature with the corner of his eyes, he stood there just waiting.

Following the instructions, Linoone stopped scratching the grey smooth floor and finally was able to properly run. Jumping next to the veteran Pokémon, he now eyes Arcanine with curiosity instead of fear.

" **So, as I was saying. I'm kind of new here; can you give me some directions?"** He asked, quite naturally, almost forgetting how scary Arcanine's left eye looks.

" **Sure, kid. What you want to know?"**

Showing a glad toothy smile, Linoone breathed in, preparing himself to unleash a current of words at oblivious Pokémon. **"I got this dumb human, quite useless, can't do anything without me. Anyway, he has this blue ball thingy that he wants; keeps saying that he won't be able to live if he doesn't get it back. He is quite a pain sometimes, but I enjoy messing around with him. It would be a shame if he dies and all because of a ball. Oh and…"**

More than overwhelmed by Linoone's unending rambling, Arcanine growled loudly. Not even in his wildest dreams could he imagine that a Pokémon so small could make so much noise. **"The place, kid!"** He snarled. **"Where do you want to go?"**

The heavy growl paired together with the canine's sharp teeth showing was enough to scare the furred big-mouthed into focused shape again. **"T-the ball. Have you seen any blue ball around here?"** Linoone raised his forwards paws making a few gestures. **"About this big, sometimes it glows with a strange light and all that."**

" **A glowing ball…"** Arcanine closed his one good eye, thinking hard about the object in question. **"Yeah… I remember a ball like that. They keep it inside the big room at the end of that hallway there."** He pointed with his head to an entryway some meters down the hall.

" **That way then?"** His blue eyes sparkled. **"Just a bit more and I am done with this."** Brimming with energy, Linoone moved his limbs at full speed, running and running like crazy… but once again, he stood stuck in place.

Arcanine let out a tired long sigh. **"Use the middle part, kid."**

" **Oh, yeah."** Pressing his feet properly on the cold floor, his body finally begun to move. **"Thanks, old man."** In a blur of brown fur, Linoone zoomed forward, vanishing out to the hallway pointed.

" **Be careful with those two… And, he is not even listening anymore."** Shaking his head, the battle-aged Pokémon turned away, letting the youngster to his antics. **"Such a strange Pokémon."**

* * *

(Killer - Yoshikage Kira's Theme) ======== watch?v=9yGGNohmAT0&t

* * *

A dark moisty nose twitched, a strange scent getting its attention. Lazily raising his head to the open door, a groggy with sleep Houndoom squinted his eyes and noticed a small figure sneaking at the hall outside.

" **Hey, bro."** Houndoom swiped his tail around, hitting the back of the other Houndoom sleeping at his side.

" **What it is, brother?"** The second one replied with an annoyed grunt, his dream as getting on the best part just before he was slapped awaken.

" **What is that plushy toy doing?"** Pointing with his long muzzle, the first one motioned to the suspicious-looking Pokémon wandering quietly and slowly right outside the door.

His noise also picking up the scent of the prowling stranger, the sterner Houndoom stood up. Sharpening the vision of his fierce eyes, he locked his gaze on the small frame slipping past the open door. **"I don't know…"** He licked his teeth, smirking with a dark idea. **"But I have an idea of what to do with him."**

Almost getting tired of walking on this confusing mess of a building, Linoone at long last reached the two framed steel door. He eyed the small windows on the top of both frames, the room light brighter than the one in the hall, making some ray lights seep in through the thin glass.

Linoone tried to open the door on the same manner as he did the previous one, but despite the numerous pounding he dished on the doors, none of them even stirred for more than an inch. Those are some quite sturdy doors standing in his way, so he changed his method going from pushing the giant metal plank obstructing his way to slash it with his sharp little claws.

" **Gaaah, why it doesn't work?"** He frowned, quite upset about his situation. **"These things need to have some sort secret to them… How did I open that first door?"**

" **It's not every day we got to see something like that."** A chillingly calm voice came from behind the unaware little infiltrator.

" **You got that right, heh."**

Linoone jumped from his spot, turning half-circle and pushing his back against the door. He noticed two very menacing Houndooms, well one of them is very menacing with his deadly serious gaze, the other one is a bit more… unique; Unique in a way that he is giving an eye-smile, but his entire body is twitching with an urge to do something bad.

" **Hey… guys."** The smaller Pokémon said with an afraid little grin.

" **Hello…"** Still holding his stern look, one of the Houndoom took a step closer, his pointy teeth showing at the tip of his trembling mouth.

" **Hi."** While his brother is less and less inclined to hold his instincts in, his body trembling with anticipation.

" **So… you may have seen this already, but I'm having a hard time with this thing here."** Linoone pointed with his head to the door behind him. **"Could you lend me a hand with it?"**

" **I have an even better idea."** One of the hounds said with a wicked grin. **"What if you just stood there for a moment and let us burn you to a crisp."**

" **No fair, Bone! I like to ripe things apart."**

" **You're such a pain, Crusher…"** Bone rolled his eyes with the childish tantrum of his brother, but still indulged him with a tired glance. **"Fine, we can burn him a little and then you can tear him."**

" **Haaah, Hahahah! You do know how to appease me."** Crusher stomped past his brother to get a closer look at his prize… or where it was supposed to be. **"Hey… where is him?"** Shooting a dangerous glare to his brother, the big-mouthed Houndoom stomped harder on the floor with one of his front paws. **"Gaaarh, he got awaaay! Why did you suggest burning him? Scared the thing away."**

Bone ignored the infuriating cries from Crusher, he eyed the pristine clean grey floor, quickly noticing a faint line of sand dust. Giving it a couple of sniffs, a clear trail appeared to him. **"Don't worry your dull little head. He still here."** Speaking quieter than normal,he gave a firm nod, pointing to the sandy trail leading to the room where they were sleeping just moments ago.

" **You don't mean?"** A loud snort followed; Crusher is waving his head holding his laugh in. **"The stupid thing stuffed himself inside our r-"**

" **Shhhhs."** Bone pushed his brother ever so slightly, calmly walking towards the open door. **"A shame we lost it, huh?"** He growled loudly, bashing one paw at the ground in frustration.

" **What?! Have you gone wrong in the head, Bone?"** Crusher eyed his brother with funny eyes. **"We didn't lose it, he is right there."** He said even louder than his brother, feeling very pleased with himself for the observation.

" **Argh… Sometimes I wonder if you're dumber than a door."**

Rolling his eyes yet again, Bone just walked to their room, leaving his not so smart brother staring at him with a confused look to his face. Stepping inside the place he is most familiarized in this entire base, the cunning Houndoom scanned his surrounding with a newfound curiosity to all the props he has grown tired of looking to all day.

The room is dark and silent. However, him being a Dark-type himself, Bone finds this setting more than welcoming and somewhat thrilling to chase a rat in this place. He eyed the stands at the right wall, tall black boxes filling every shelf, his gaze trailed to a large table at the furthest wall, a mess of paper spread all over the ground; not a strange sigh inside this base with so many people.

" **Get out! Come out you from whatever hole you put yourself in."** On the other side of the room, Crusher is currently mowing a cardboard box; waving his head to all sides the enraged hound is tearing the box to pieces, he truly loves to tear things to shred.

Bone ignored the annoying noises his brother is making, returning to his mind to his very careful investigation.

While all the craziness is happening, there is still a third party acting in this strange play. Hiding under the ground support of the large stand with five rows of shelves, Linoone is watching the two mean dogs, his heart beating furiously fast. While he is minding the hound closest to him, the one sniffling about the large desk; his little sharp blue eyes are almost clued to the crazy one that is destroying any prop that gets in his way.

Pointy white teeth poking multiple punctures into the hard surface of a metallic board is scary enough, but the truly terrifying part if the crazed gleam showing on that Pokémon's eyes.

' **Those Pokémon… they're touched in the head or something?'** A jolt cruised on Linoone's body when the crazier one of the hounds dashed from his spot to exact furniture the little brown Pokémon is hiding.

He held his breath, trying to not make a sound or movement while Crusher is biting on the lower side of some boxes, his teeth making some very unsettling sounds. Linoone held his breath pretty well considering his panic but had little luck stopping his body from shaking like a green left in windy weather.

" **Crusher! Stop mangling the boxes, the entire stand is shaking."** Bone growled annoyed, he has still not forgotten the trouble they got in when one of those shelves came crashing down just last week.

Crusher whined, throwing his bossy brother some sharp glares. However, his attention quickly shifted to a mess of clothes laying in a big lump at the corner of the room, a mess he did himself when he destroyed the box holding said clothes.

The rattling noise gridding on Bone's patience, he had enough of his brother stupidity. **"Crusher!** " He shouted angrily, turning his head in a violent movement.

" **Mwhat?"** Crusher replied, two stacks of brand-new Rainbow Rocket's uniform in his mouth.

Bone's eyes went to his brother, then to the large stand on the other side of the room. The thing is shaking and trembling just like before, yet Crusher is doing his mess far away from it. A dark glint flashed in Bone's face, his teeth showing in a nefarious grin.

Linoone's eyes widened when Crusher completely destroyed the piece of clothing he had in his mouth. Not satisfied yet with his work, the Houndoom set the clothes aflame with a small fireball, his eyes now sparkling with joy from his handwork.

Swallowing hard the lump or nervousness forming in his throat, Linoone only thought was to not end-up like those uniform. He eyed the open door and tried to judge if he could run for it before any of those two could see him.

A dread feeling rushed in Linoone's chest, making him jolt his head to the side, his startled gaze finding a pair of dark red eyes staring directly at him. The Houndoom opened his mouth; his sharp white teeth shining with a strange light as orange light began came to life inside his throat.

" **Found you…"** A velvet voice carrying a dark tone to it; a grim welcome coming from the black hound.

* * *

(Octopath Traveler - Decisive Battle I) ========= watch?v=sG1XmAii1ZU

* * *

Linoone saw the incoming fireball forming inside Bone's mouth, in desperation he twirled his entire body in the little space, hurling a handful of sand right at the Houndoom's face. Something he didn't predict was that the whole stand would tilt forward because of his erratic move.

Bone growled loudly, the prickling sensation in his eyes forcing the hound to jump away and swallow his own attack. In his rushed retreat backward, one of the boxes standing at the top shelf slid down rapidly, landing at the dark Pokémon's side.

" **There you are, fiend."** Crusher shouted. He raised his head back and then hurled it forward, unleashing an even bigger fireball. The fiery attack clashing against the toppled stand, making it completely crash on the floor, exploding all sorts of gadgets and metallic objects on the room and on top of his brother.

" **DON'T ATTACK ME, IMBECILE!"** Bone howl infuriated. He wiped the sand away from his face, opening his eyes just slightly to see a brown little form making a run for the exit. **"Get him!"**

With an awful sound of his claws gridding against the floor, Crusher slid in front of Linoone. **"No exit for you."** His flews trembling and twitching, a low growl came from his throat and he flung himself forward, mouth wide open and ready to bite.

Linoone jumped the highest he could and twirl his entire body like a screw. In his evasive maneuver, he managed to dodge Crusher's sharp teeth by just an inch. His brown fur grazing against the canine's nose.

In a fast instinct on his part, Crusher pushed his front legs against the ground to raise his back. His black tail waved wildly in the air, bashing right on top of Linoone's head and sending the little Pokémon crashing down to the floor.

Free from the hindrances that were holding him down, Bone jumped on top of Linoone and bit him at his right rear leg. The sharp teeth sinking in deep on the brown fur, enough to hit the flesh and draw blood from the wound.

Pulling his mouth back, the hound glared at the smaller Pokémon. He slowly opened his mouth, savoring the moment before the satisfying show. Once again, the darkened glow, of a fireball forming in his mouth, came to life. **"End of the line."**

A massive spiral of fire flew in, its size so enormous that it scorched both sidewalls on opposite sides of the room. Hitting its mark, the attack exploded on Bone's side, sending the hound flying upward to the ceiling and then fall down to the floor.

" **CRUSHER!"** Bone shouted in crazed anger.

" **That was not me."** Crusher said stepping right next to his brother and helping him stand.

Standing before the Houndooms and their prey, an Arcanine is standing tall and strong. His piercing gaze focused on the two. **"Are you all right there, kid?"** He gave Linoone a short glance.

" **Thanks, old man."** He gave his savior a weak little grin. **"Feeling a bit chewed, but still in one piece."** Pulling himself up, Linoone hissed as he tried to stand on his four legs, the bite wound stinging much more than he anticipated. Still, he stood up and got behind the larger Pokémon.

" **Leon!"** Bone growled, anger rising up inside of him. **"This has nothing to do to with you. Leave the little fellow for us and I will forget this."**

" **Yeah!"** Crusher followed. **"Or I will give another one of those to match the look."** He smirked pointing to the scar he had left on the fire Pokémon.

" **Got the ball, kid?"** Leon asked his little friend, mostly ignoring the threats coming his way.

" **Not yet. Got ambushed by those two before I could get there."**

A low tired sigh came from the old Arcanine. **"Then go get it."** He stepped forward. **"I will keep them out of your tail."**

" **HA! I would like to see you try, gramps."** Crusher had enough. He dashed forward, and fired and fire attack, aiming it at Linoone. A fire wave came flying from Arcanine's mouth, both attacks matching and negating themselves.

Bone jumped in. In total disregard for his own safety, he slammed himself against Leon's body, tackling both of them to the ground. A mess of howling sounds erupted in the room, the three fire Pokémon locked in a hellish exchange of blows.

" **Go, kid!"** Leon shouted.

Linoone hesitated at the first moment, he thought of jumping in and helping his newfound friend. However, a stern look from the older Pokémon pushed him to turn around and run straight to the open door.

Getting right back where he stopped, Linoone banged his side against the door. **"Open!"** He tried to push it once more, again to little effect.

" **YOU!"** Crusher slid out from the now burning room. **"No running away!"** The Houndoom sprinted at full speed, his eyes shining with madness. But from a spirited dash, his body went flying into the air, his eyes widening in surprise.

With Bone still handing at his sides, with claws digging into his flesh. Leon ran out of the room and tackled the other hound at full force. Crusher went flying past Linoone, his side slamming against the double-framed door. A loud cry exploded, together with both doors opening in full swing.

Seeing his opportunity, Linoone dashed past the fainted hound. He ran inside the immersive room, scanning every corner with attentive eyes.

This room, a lab, is large and shaped in an oval way. Strange machines spread all around the floor, with people working on them and making notes at each passing moment. At the center of the lab, connected to all machines via broad long cables, is a tall white pedestal that looks like an altar, but totally white and protected by glasses.

"The hell is happening?" A male scientist yelled in surprise, seeing a foreign presence in this area.

"Did those Houndooms invade the storage room again?" A female scientist said in a none too pleased tone.

" **Don't mind me, I'm just passing by."** Linoone responded with his usual charm, although humans cannot really understand what he says. **"There!"** He spotted fancy pedestal and decided on the only thing he could do. He jumped on it, smashing the glass with his body.

" **Woah…"** His eyes sparkled with the glinting eyes coming from the, not one, but three balls. One black, the other white and lastly and more importantly the blue one. With his sole interest being on the last one, Linoone secured the shiny thing with his mouth and jumped to the ground.

The entire base trembled and the light flickered. A massive wave of fire invaded the room, making all the humans inside shriek and yell in panic. From within flames an Arcanine and a Houndoom jumped out.

" **Did you got it now, kid?"** Leon said, his breathing ragged and slow.

" **Gwot id!"** Linoone replied with his mouth stuffed.

" **Great, now jump on my back."**

" **You're going nowhere."** Bone spat out; his own body so bruised that any other Pokémon would be unable to stand. **"I will make sure to punish you this time, old man."** He ran his front claws against the floor and with a ferocious howl launched himself at the tired Arcanine.

Still having some fire in his will, Leon jumped against the flying Hound. Both Pokémon lashing out at each other, claws and fangs wreaking havoc on body bodies. Ultimately, Arcanine got the upper hand and bashed Bone against the ground, properly knocking the hound out of his senses.

"Someone stop that Linoone!" One of the scientists raged, pointing his finger to the small Pokémon. "He has one of the orbs."

Before any of the humans could reach him, Leon jumped right next to Linoone and kneeled down. **"Mount up, kid. We don't have much time."**

Nodding quietly energetically, Linoone hopped up on top of his mighty friend. He dug into the bright and deep fur of Arcanine with his claws and pressed his little body tightly against the fire Pokémon's back.

" **Let's get out of this place."** Leon pressed his paws firmly on the floor. Blaze sparkled flared on all of his legs and in an extremely high speed, he vanished towards the halls. Giving no time at all for any mobilization inside the base, the veteran Pokémon carried his easygoing friend out of the underground building.

* * *

"That summarizes your role." Giovanni's voice echoed inside the conference room. A clear image of him is being displayed at the large monitor on the wall.

Sitting around the large table are the three enforcers left in Hoenn, together with Maxie and a silent purple-haired woman

Leyla stood up, nodding firmly. "As you wish, master." The acting leader of Rainbow Rocket forces replied with a confident little grin.

"Are you certain that this will work?" Maxie directed his question to the man over the screen. "It took us a great effort to arrange everything as you asked."

"It'll work." Giovanni responded, giving a serious and stern look to the red-haired man. "What has been set in motion can never be stopped."

"MA'AM!" A group of people wearing white-jacked stormed inside the room. And they immediately regretted; as not only receiving a murderous glare from Leyla for the intromission, they also noticed Giovanni being 'present' and staring at them.

"I expect a very good reason for this intrusion." The blond woman spat, fuming with anger.

"Y-yeah, ma'am. We have a big problem on our hands." One of the scientists said, stuttering in fear.

"Then speak." Raz growled.

"Sir… Our lab has been breached." Another scientist came forward, sweating buckets as she spoke. "A Linoone appeared out of nowhere and took away with him one of the orbs."

"WHAT?!" Leyla's fist crashed on top of the giant table. The thunderous sound that her fist made after exploding against wooden surface caused all scientists to shrink down on the ground and whimper. "Explain to me how a little Pokémon can enter the lab under your supervision and snatch away something so important?"

"It happened too fast, ma'am. A whole commotion invaded the room, with an Arcanine and a Houndoom spreading fire all around."

"THIS IS NO EXCUSE." The woman yelled even louder. "Have you no idea of what-"

"Leyla, let them speak." Giovanni stepped in, his voice managing to silence the woman, but did little to calm her fuming nerves. "You said that one orb was taken. Which one?" He directed his words and gaze to the terrified group.

"T-T-The original one, sir." One of them replied. "That Linoone took only the blue orb. We still have the other two we created."

"I see…" Giovanni sighed. Closing his eyes, he held both hands under his chin with his fingers intertwine. "Then let it be. We don't need that relic anymore."

"But Boss! After all the trouble we went to secure it?" Raz voiced his voice at the same time he raised himself from his seat.

"And it served its purpose." Giovanni glared at the muscled man. "Let the cunning creature have its prize, and start focusing on the matter at hands. For tonight we start a revolution."

"It will be done, master." All three enforcers said at the same time.

* * *

" **I had no idea that the desert was so vast."** Leon said, already puffing with exhaustion, as his breath is getting harder at each step. **"Is this the place?"**

His small spent this time on top of Arcanine's back, and with the big Pokémon walking more slowly now, he can easily hold the orb in his paws and still remains steady in his spot. Their trip was not a short one since they walked from the desert on Route 111 all the way to the cooler woods of Route 118.

" **This is absolutely the place."** Linoone replied full of energy. **"You see that dork sitting all by himself next to that tree? That's him."**

" **I see… Let's inform your friend then."** The sudden change of scenery, from the heated desert plain to this windy atmosphere at the border of the sea, has taken a huge toll on the big Pokémon's body. Therefore, in the last meters of their trip, he has chosen to walk ever so slowly with one of his legs limping as to conserve what little energy he has left.

" **Heeey, Spiegel. I got your stupid ball."** Linoone jumped from his cozy ride and sprinted towards the tree.

Hearing a most familiar voice, Spiegel turned his attention to his side and smile after seeing his brown-furred friend. "It seems that you have it." He reached in with one hand, as Linoone got closer enough to him. His fingers were going straight for the orb, but after a few twitches, his hand stopped and moved over to the Pokémon' head. "Good job friend."

" **Oi, what are you doing that for?"** He hissed lowly, pretending to be uncomfortable with patting in his head. However, the purring sound coming from him readily betrayed his reaction.

Smiling at the silliness of his little friend, Spiegel noticed a larger figure walking in from behind the trees. While his attention changed focus to the newcomer, his eyes remained on Linoone.

" **Oh, I almost forgot."** Linoone jumped back, running back to the incoming Arcanine. **"This old gramps here helped me in a real pinch over there. I wouldn't be here without him."**

"Did he now?" Nodding at his friend remark, Spiegel stood up and turned his gaze to the big Pokémon. "I guess I owe you a lot more than I can repay." He said to the Arcanine.

" **You have no need to repay me. I just couldn't leave this kid alone."** Leon chuckled as he looked down to the grinning little guy. **"So you're the useless human he was talking about?"** Linoone froze at that, taking his gaze to anywhere that was not close to any of the other two.

"Useless, huh…" He looked to his smaller friend. "I guess I am the one. Name is Spiegel, nice to meet you."

" **Nice to meet you, my name is Leon."**

"So you have a proper name?" Spiegel said back a bit surprised.

" **I received one from my former trainer, many years ago."** He growled faintly, a little sadness showing in his eyes. **"That was before someone robbed me away from him."**

Spiegel didn't reply with words, instead, he only gave an understanding glance to the Arcanine. Despite looking so ragged and scarred, this Pokémon still carries a gentle innocence in him, something quite surprising in the trainer's eyes.

" **That reminds me. Kid, you never told me your name."**

" **Don't have that."** Linoone spat out. **"I am just me. Never needed one of those names."**

"I am almost calling him Troublemaker." Spiegel said, grinning at his friend. "He really has a gift to make trouble."

" **So today was not an exception?"** Leon asked.

"I wish."

They both laughed at their little friend's expense, much to Linoone's aggravation.

" **Really funny you two."** He said and pouted. **"Next time, let's see who will sneak inside a secret base all by himself. Let's see then how much trouble you make then."** His agitated complaint only served to make the other two to laugh even harder at him.

The sunny clearing fell dark all of a sudden; any ray of sunlight that was basking the vivid trees disappeared behind a colossal object. An aircraft descended from the clouds, its size alone is enough to create a shadow on top of the entire area of Route 118. From its sides, innumerous spread out hatches began to open one after another and from these passages, the floating fortress started to spew a sea of people, parachuting to every corner of Hoenn.

Linoone raised both his frontal paws. **"Okay… I did not cause that."**

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	24. Something Very Stupid

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Things are about to get very heated moving on, and to tell the truth I would drop a huge bomb on the plot at this chapter... but let's save it for the next one..._

* * *

Pressing her cheeks against the firm muscles of her lover's chest, Zinnia snuggled closer to him, burrowing her right cheek in his warmth. As per usual nowadays, the couple is sharing a bed in his house, with Brendan soundly asleep after their heated and exhausting nocturnal actions.

His body suddenly shivers, making his warms shot up in disarray. Brendan rolls violently to the side and groans healingly.

Waking up with his jolt, Zinnia carefully watches her boyfriend, her sharp red eyes fixed in his shaking form. "It's happening again…" She whispers under her low breath.

"Guh… no…. Agh…" Brendan turns his head to his right and then to the left, his arms flailing uncontrollably as if he was fighting the scariest of opponents.

On the first occurrence, Zinnia was panicking, desperately hugging the body of her lover. However, as the nights passed, so did her surprise and panic, now only an uneasiness stir inside her chest.

Without notice, Brendan jolted upwards wildly shooting himself in a sitting pose. "STOP!" He cried out ever so loudly. His voice echoing not only in the bedroom but also inside his whole house.

"Another nightmare?" Zinnia asked, her voice low and sweet as she scooted closer to him, embracing him ever so lovingly.

"Ha…. Ha… Yeah…" Brendan responded with a tired, rugged voice. He rubbed his eyes furiously as if he was wiping away the bad memories away.

"Brendan…" She pressed herself even tighter on him, her arms around his back, crushing him against her. "You can't go on like this. It has been what? Two months since your nightmares started."

He sighed. Two months without getting proper sleep, two months of the same vicious and dreading dream haunting his nights. "And what else can I do?" He gritted his teeth, flashing them as a enrage Pokémon ready to attack. "Tell me, how the hell can I rid myself of this curse?!" He lashed out, trashing his head to the side, glaring down at Zinnia.

Red and blue, two crystal clear and vivid orbs staring down at her shape. This look in his eyes, what they have become frightens Zinnia to her core, but deep down she knows that it is okay, no matter how startled Brendan may look, he always comes back to his own self.

"Sorry…" Brendan said hanging his head low. "I didn't mean to raise my voice." Slightly turning his face back to her, he glanced at the most precious person to him and she smiled to him, soothing not only his deranged emotions but also his aching heart.

"I know." She replied again with a sweet tone in her voice.

Two months ago, on the night of the blooming flowers, Brendan came crashing down on the grass, his nose bleeding as he screamed wildly. It took Zinnia everything she had to witness what was happening to Brendan, she latched her arms around him, holding him close as an unbearable pain was threatening to take him away for good. Only after hours of agonizing pain, he finally shut down from exhaustion.

However, when Brendan woke up on the next day he had changed. His left eye permanently changed to red, bright raging red; while his right eye turned to a meek and subtle tone of blue, darkened and unfocused blue. Ever since then Brendan has been cursed to experience the same nightmare, Hoenn in flames as the sea rises up and the sky itself drops down to the earth.

"You know…" Zinnia called out to him. She took both hands to his face, groping his cheeks carefully, amorously. With a soft pull brought him down and closer to her, close enough to press her forehead against her. "This is our burden; I said that to you before. I will stand by your side in the good and the bad times, now and forever."

Her words brought a wide smile to Brendan's lips. "I know." He said calmly, beaming happily at her touch. His eyes slowly traveled to her form, a bit hidden in the darkness of his room. Yet his gaze trailed from her thin but firm arms, going up all the way to her bare shoulders where the top of her silky nightgown barely covers the skin of her body. In truth, her breasts are very much in view, with that pesky fabric just barely covering the soft tip of her mounds.

How can a woman be this beautiful? Is the question now floating inside Brendan's mind. The tanned smooth skin of hers is not only arousing but also entrancing, drawing him in, making him want her, more and more.

A smacking sound erupted from the side of his head as Zinnia bopped him with one hand. "If you know that, then don't keep anything from me." She declared with a serious frown. "I watch you shiver and scream every night; I know that you're suffering, so tell me. If that red thing is hurting you again, I will beat his butt in."

"Heh. That would be a sight to see." He grinned imagining Zinnia kicking Groudon in his behinds, forcing the red primal to behave.

"Brendan!" She bopped him on the head again, urging her boyfriend to take her seriously.

"Zinnia, I am fine. I swear." He eyed her showing a genuine smile. "There isn't much I can do about my dreams, nor can you." He traced his gaze downward, avoiding her bright red eyes. "I'm sorry for disturbing you every night. Maybe I should sleep on the couch."

"No! That I will not accept." She fumed angrily with just the suggestion. "Your place is in here and my place is in here too. Both of us together." She inclined herself up, pecking his lips in a quick but wet kiss.

He chuckled with the little pout in his draconid woman. Even if Zinnia is rough and wild in her ways and even if she is strong and assertive, she still is the cutest girl in his eyes. "Really, I am fine." Now Brendan leaned in, kissing her on the cheek, her pout melting away.

" **Are you really? You don't look very good."** A little but energetic voice sounded from the left side of the bed. This new voice prompting Brendan to turn his head in a frantic way, his duo-colored eyes landing on the pinky cute form of Aster, lying on the small couch on the side of his room. The little pink ball of a Pokémon staring at her Mommy and her dearest friend.

"Aster?" Brendan called out and drop of sweat running down from his forehead.

"Mur?" Aster responded by rising up and getting on her tiny feet. She got down on the floor and frantically ran to the side of the bed. With an earnest jump, Aster got on top of the cheeks, in the middle between Zinnia and Brendan. With another happy cry, the little pink ball sat down and snuggled against the warmth of those two.

"Oww… Look at her. Isn't she the cutest thing in this world?" Zinnia cooed, taking her little girl in her arms and pressing her against her chest.

Brendan watched those two play with each other, Aster tapping her mom on her chin and Zinnia kissing the top of her little girl's head. He smiled with tender, his chest flustering at the scene. "You both are." He said with a single drop of tear threatening to fall from his eyes. "Seeing you two here… makes me feel like the luckiest man alive."

"Look Aster, Dad is crying." Zinnia teased with a playful voice. "Isn't him the cutest too?"

"Mur?" Astur tilted her head to the side, eying Brendan curiously. After glancing back to her mommy one more time, she jumped from the woman's arms and walked next to Brendan, pressing her pink little face against his arm.

"Now I will definitely cry." Brendan picked the lovingly Pokémon in his arms and embraced her in a tight embrace.

"There, there. We will cure your bad dreams with our love." Zinnia soon came in and embraced her lover, making a shell of warm hugs with all of them.

" **Mommy and Daddy… I am happy like this."** Again, the little voice came out, now Brendan could clearly see from where it came. He doesn't really know why or how, but the source of this voice is the little Whismur resting in his arms.

Comforting one another, enjoying the company of one another. The family of young parents and their little Whismur remained close and hugging until all three of them fell asleep, this time no nightmares to wake them up.

* * *

Still, even without Brendan's nightmares assaulting him, their evening soon went array. A loud explosion erupted from outside, the source of this sound felt somewhat far yet the entire house trembled under the pressure. Zinnia sprung awake, jolting her back upward with her eyes widening up in shock.

She moved her hands on the bed and the mattress, her fingers getting pass a flat space at her side only to find the little form of Aster at the edge of the bed. Drifting her foggy eyes to her right, she found what she was looking for in the form of Brendan putting his clothes back with his front facing the other side, his attention sorely focused on the big closed glass-window in his room.

"What's happening?" She asked him with a wary look.

He glanced back to her, his red and blue eyes looking tired and yet sharp. "I heard a massive uproar coming from down the mountain." He eyed the window once again, the moon barely bathing the outside of his house with a dim light. "I think they are attacking us." The bitter tone in his voice when he said 'They' made pretty clear who he is talking about.

Frowning at his words, Zinnia moved to the side of the bed, her feet just above the large red carpet on the floor. "Then, you're going there." She asked in a stern way. Her features mellowing as Aster crawled her way to her mother's arms.

Brendan just glanced back to her, the look in his face answering her question better than any words. "So." He spoke up. "You want to stay here with Aster?" He asked, not in a judging way but rather in serious concern.

The genuine worry in his question stirred a bubbling sensation inside her chest, she loves how much caring Brendan has become. However, even if she is overjoyed by his reaction, Zinnia gave him a fierce glare. "What you take me for?" She growled, making Brendan sweat a little. "Those people have done enough. I will show them how strong I am."

Seeing both Zinnia and Aster puff up their chest brought a little smile to Brendan's lips. "I thought so." He replied. "You better put your clothes back on. We wouldn't want you trashing a criminal gang in a nightgown, would we?"

"Why not?" She replied with a playful grin. "Jealous that someone would get to see me like this?" Just to aggravate him a little more, Zinnia made a daring pose; holding her arms up high and her legs bend up, showing a lot more skin of her thighs.

"Well… I wouldn't say jealous." He said with a smile, a strange one as it is neither playful nor alright sarcastic. "But If someone happens to see so much of you like that… I've to kill them."

Her smile grew bigger then cracking up on a full-blown laugh. "Oohh... Scary." His eyes show that he was very much serious in her words, but it didn't faze her away from her playfulness. If only she hadn't forgotten about a little something that happened two months ago, maybe she would have been a bit more troubled by his statement.

"Yeah, scary. So best to avoid something so awful." He stepped over to his bed and gave a light kiss on the top of her head. Leaving a grinning Zinnia to get her clothes that are lying on the floor, Brendan went to the large dresser at the other end of his room and prepared himself to anything, getting all of his Poké-Balls and putting them in his pockets. His attention quickly changing to the pair of objects at the end of the drawer.

With a bit of hesitation, he looked at the black Poké-Ball and at Groudon red orb. Steeling his resolve, he grabbed them both and kept with him. He carried with himself a certain thought, just in case, he justified it. "No…" Brendan said in a tiny whisper, one that Zinnia didn't notice. "I will have to use him this time, I can feel it."

This dread idea floating inside his mind unsettled the young champion. However, his only choice now is to control the beast, instead of the opposite. Maybe that will change everything.

* * *

Eyeing the steaming hot plate in front of him, Ethan prickled large cooked spinach with the tip of his fork, he sighed, taking the vegetable to his mouth. A delicious wet sensation overflowed his taste buds, the softness of the veggie making a delight to chew on it. Then, he once again looked down to the mostly untouched meal in his pale and sighed even louder.

"Silver." He looked to the red-haired man sitting across from him, the pale boy silently enjoying his own meal with a faint little red tint on his facial features. "You know… this is the last time I take you out to eat with me."

Silver looked at him somewhat surprised and taken by the declaration. "What?! Why?" He protested a bit louder than he wanted.

"Every single time we go out to have lunch or dinner together, weird things start to happen." Ethan said resting his chin on the palm of his left hand. Tilting his head just a bit to the side, the raven-haired trainer raised his other hand and pointed to the large transparent window at the left side of their table. "Look."

Following his rival's suggestion, Silver shifted his gaze to the streets outside. As if he was freed from a spell entrancing his mind, he finally noticed the screams, the explosions and more importantly the current of people fleeing wildly from a crowd of black-dressed thugs.

"TEAM ROCKET?!" Silver jumped from his seat, clenching his fists as he looked to the destruction being laid on the largest avenue of Rustboro. "Goddammit shitty old man, what are planning now?" Growling and gritting his teeth in exasperation, Silver flat out dashed out of the building, charging straight ahead toward the incoming crowd of criminals.

"Getting interrupted at every opportunity. And he was all conscious of me too…" Ethan clicked his tongue. He stood up and calmly walked towards the exit. "I'm so pissed right now." Taking one hand to the biggest pocket of his pants, Ethan eyed the unbelievably large commotion.

Some officers are battling against the horde in black, but with some many Grunts charging at them, they are quickly getting overwhelmed. In fact, if Silver had not joined them in the battle, charging head-on with his team made of Rhyperior, Weavile, Feraligatr, and an impressively big Crobat; the police force would have been overrun by now.

"Tsk, so troublesome." Ethan pulled two Poké-Balls and tossed them right in front of him.

" **Gaaah, I was having the nicester nap!"** Happy, the cheerful Sudowoodo, stretched his back after getting out of his ball. **"Oi, stupid! Why did you wake me up?"**

"Look around you, Happy." Ethan responded to his rocky-tree friend. "We're kinda in a pinch here."

Flames, the stoic/grumpy Typhlosion just snorted at his trainer's answer.

With his friendly smile ever so present in his face, Happy glanced all around them. **"Ohh… quite the mess around here. Why are there so many stupid people making a ruckus?"**

"Because they are evil. That is reason enough for them." Ethan stepped past his two friends, facing the large ensuing battle. The amount of people fleeing from that part of the city, the southern side of Rustboro, has diminished by a lot but only because the ones that couldn't escape in time are now being harassed and even being captured by Rainbow Rocket goons.

" **Gaah, I really dislike stupid people, stupid evil people I dislike even more. I call them Stupievil!"** Happy stomped forward, his rock branches twitching to smack the stupidity all of them all.

"What you say, Happy. Ice, Thunder, or Fire?" Ethan asked with a wicked grin on his lips.

" **I AM ALL FIRED UP!"** Happy roared loudly, smacking his branch-hands together. **"So, I'll go with Thunder!"** Like a wild gush of wind, the nimble Sudowoodo disappeared from his spot. A thin transparent line trailed after the Pokémon's blur of an image and in an instant, he was on top of a group of enemy Pokémon. **"Taaaake this!"** A bolt of lightning came to life right in front of everyone's eyes, in the form of this ridiculous powerful punch, a thunder stormed the street sending flying all the menacing Pokémon that was cornering the innocent civilians.

Having their Pokémon tools completely defeated and all of combat, this team of six Grunts took a few steps back, cowering away from the people they were trying to kidnap.

" **NOT ENOUGH!"** Happy roared even louder. **"No stupid human shall go unpunished for disturbing my nap!"** Replicating the same move as just now, the Sudowoodo vanished just to reappear right in front of the grunts. Despite the general rule of most Pokémon of not going all out against humans, Happy held nothing back. His flashing thunderous fist clashed against each terrified criminal, the sheer force of his arm shooting those men and women all the way to the south exit of Rustboro.

" **You don't mind?"** Flames eyed Ethan with an impassive look. **"The kid is not controlling himself. Some of them probably died."** He nodded towards the place where the Grunts landed, not one of them getting up from the ground.

Ethan barely paid any attention to the question. He shrugged and glanced to the other side of the city. "Right about now, I don't care much about their safety. It was their choice to attack this place." His golden eyes perceived the abnormal amount of fighting breaking out at the northern side. "More importantly… they are coming from the other side too." He glanced back to Silver and his battle. "And they don't stop coming from that direction as well."

"Mommy… I'm scared." A little girl, who looks no more than five-years-old, cried out. She is hugging tightly to her mother, they both sitting on the ground while shivering in panic.

"It's okay darling. They will go away." The woman's voice not at all convincing, but she still did her best to shield her children from not only warm but also from seeing anything bad.

Even Ethan's golden-clad heart felt a sting seeing those two. He kneeled next to them and brought his hands to the girl and her mother's head. "Everything is going to be fine, okay?" He said to the trembling little person. "Just like your mommy said." A gentle smile parted his lips apart, a comforting sight not only to her but her mother too, as they both smiled back and nodded in response. "Flames, take the rubbish away from Silver and the officers." He commanded his most trusted companion.

" **Are you certain? Even with all his eagerness, the kid is better suited for this."** Flames eyed said Sudowoodo, who is stomping angrily at a tall mean-looking man, that now is just crying scared out of his pants.

"I need them free now, it's not safe to let these people flee without an escort." Ethan glanced around him, noticing more and more people flock around him, most teary eyes looking for safety close to him. "Just do it, Flames."

Still apprehensive about his trainer choice, Flames just nodded and turned around to face the horde of Rainbow Rocket Grunts. **"So be it then."** Scorching blazes flared up alive in Typhlosion's hands, the powerful fire-type bashed his hands on the street and an explosion shot his heavy body upwards and in the direction of the multiple battles.

The small molten holes around his beck trembled violently, a collar of bright fire erupting from them. Flames opened his mouth, his set of pointy fangs glistening with a faint little yellow blur as a small little flame ignited on the back of his throat. From the little spark of fire, a massive spiral of fire exploded from Flames's mouth, this serpentine wave of fire clashed on the ground right between the police force and invading army. As if it had a life of its own, heated inferno unleashed by the Typhlosion attack spread in one way and died out on the other, leaving Silver and the other safe, while pushing away everything from the other side.

"Holy sh… How?" One of the officers felt his jaw drop at the magnitude of the fire wave.

Silver on the other hand, just silently glanced back, his eyes going straight to the approaching golden-eyed man.

"Pardon me for butting in, but I think those people need you, officers, a lot more." Ethan said pointing at the afraid crowd of people organized in a huge circle a few ways back from him.

"But those criminals-" One officer began to protest, but stopped was Ethan clapped his shoulder.

"Don't worry about those clowns. I will deal with them." He gave all ten of the officers in front of him a shining confident smile. "For them to get past this point, they will have to beat Johto's Pokémon League Champion."

"C-Champion?!" They all said at the same time, looking at him astonished.

"That's right. Now leave this place to me and get those people to safety." Ethan stepped forward, walking past their group and standing right in front of the burn-scarred ground. Flames slowly approached him and stopped right next to his trainer, a sight that sent shivers down the spine of all the black-dressed people on the other side of the massive burnt hole.

The protectors of Rustboro exchanged a few concerned glanced between themselves, until one of them stepped forward, getting the Champion's attention. A female officer with long straight dark-blue hair looked at the young man's eyes and nodded. "Thank you for helping at this time of need. We will take care of the civilians, please be careful." She said with a respectful bow.

Following suit, all other bowed too and quickly dashed towards the helpless group. With coordination and great care, the ten officers led the people of Rustboro to the safest place they could find, the now properly developed and constructed Rusturf Tunnel.

"Silver." Ethan called out with certain seriousness in his voice. "You go after them."

"And leave you alone here? Not happening." Silver spat back.

"You really think I could lose?" Ethan shook his head at the thought. "Look at them, they are shaking in their boots."

"You're strong, sure. It grinds on my mind to admit that I never beat you." The red-haired looked at him with a certain fire in his eyes. Even if they are 'close' now, he still loathes the idea of never winning against his rival. "However, even you can't beat an entire army of trainers all by yourself."

"Pssht… That sounds like a challenge to me." Ethan laughed away in his reply, but his laughter quickly died out after the intense glare he received from the pale red-haired. Something that Ethan learned on this past two months he has spent with Silver, is that he when those red eyes stare at him like that, that is little he can do to change his partner's mind. Yet… "Look, I know this is dangerous and all that. But look at the other side of the town, they are coming from both sides." Ignoring all the frightened gazes locked on him, Ethan walked next to his rival and placed one hand on his left cheek. "I need you to look after everyone that can't fight back. If things get out of hand here, I will run away. If I see that I can't win, I will go after you."

Silver's intense glare faltered, the pale skin of his face getting livelier with a red tint betraying his own emotions. "Y-you better or I will beat your sorry ass." He gave one last long stare at his partner, his hand clenched and trembling as if his body refused to go. But in the end, the complied and ran at full speed after the last group, his Pokémon team closely following after their red-haired master.

"Sheesh… How can a guy be so cute?" Ethan as always felt infatuated with his rival's reactions to his advances, yet the young champion felt a bitter taste in his mouth remembering that the only closeness they had these past months was the surprise kiss they shared at Ever Grande. Clicking his tongue yet again, the Champion pulled out three other Poké-Balls and dropped at the cracked street. "Rage, Proto, Comet… Let's do this."

Rage, the immense red Gyarados from Lake of Rage. Even out of the water, its size and sheer pressure of his presence is enough to make most people quiver and step out of his raging eyes. The massive serpent-dragon slithers on the ground like a terrifying snake, ready to pounce.

Proto, a swift Scizor with a menacing stance. A Pokémon that lacks the brute power of the previous three, but makes up for it in his speed and technique. Despite not being a fighting type, Proto always carries himself in a deadly stance and switch between various others at each strike he delivers. Professor Elm has requested more than a dozen times Ethan's permission to study this Scizor's unique way of battling, but sadly for the old professor, the steel-bug doesn't like to be studied.

Lastly, Comet, a beautiful and unique Pidgeot. Having been with Ethan ever since she hatched from her egg, Comet is his fastest Pokémon and to a certain degree his most doted one. Being a rare breed of her species, her feathers are shining gold with the long plume at the top of her head shining out the most with its unique sparkle and colors.

Happy seeing the entrance of his other friends, hastily jumped inside their circle, getting to stand directly next to his 'stupid' trainer.

By this point, the number of Rainbow Rocket Grunts who invaded Rustboro from the south entrance has passed the count of forty. But even as their number amassed and never stopped increasing, they are all staring silently to the raven-haired man standing tall next to five extremely intimidating creatures. The defiant look in his golden eyes, the bright smirk on his lips… In a way, that man feels way more dangerous than any Pokémon standing by his side.

"What are all you useless pricks doing?!" A deep voice stormed from within the horde of Grunts. "He just but only man, WHAT ARE YOU ALL TREMBLING ABOUT?"

From inside the masses of people, three enormous persons stepped out, accentuating themselves apart from the rest. A ridiculous tall and muscular woman owner of a short spiked purple hair. A bald man just as muscular but way smaller than her stood at the left corner, and in the middle stands the tallest of them, a huge muscular man with an excessively round head and a peculiar hairstyle. As in most of his head is bald with just a thick flock of purple hair standing tall right at the middle of the sparkly barren.

"But Eva… he is Johto's Champion." One of the terrified goons said in reply.

"WHAT OF IT?" The same deep voice from before echoed away, now being clear that the owner of it, is the muscular woman named Eva. "Don't think of the useless bit, only think of the reward we will get from the boss WHEN WE TAKE A CHAMPION DOWN." By her side, the other two nodded their head in approval.

"She is right!" One shouted right after.

"Yeah! Even he can't take on all of us." A second followed.

"TAKE DOWN THE POKÉMON LEAGUE CHAMPION!" An uproar of voices exploded from the crowd, the once terrified Grunts all fired up from Eva's words and in a strange unison, all of them threw their Poké-Balls forward, unleashing their strongest Pokémon.

"Ora, ora… What a troublesome bunch." Ethan shook her head after seeing each of his opponents take steps forward with the full intention of facing him. "Rage, take the backside." He roared in command.

"…" The red Gyarados glared at the incoming horde, then to his trainer. **"I hate to fight on land."** He growled annoyed, but still slithered himself onto the position.

"Comet, anything takes up to the sky… You bring it down." He eyed his eager Pidgeot.

" **As you wish!"** Comet replied happily and with a mighty flap of her wings, she took off.

"Flames, you at the front."

" **Fine."** Flames steeled himself, eying the criminals in a heated way.

"Proto, you at the left."

" **Osu!"** Proto made a swift arc with his firm claws and basically teleported to his spot with how fast he dashed there.

"Happy that leaves you with the right flank."

"…" Contrary to the rest of the team, Happy didn't respond, something that troubled his trainer. Ethan glanced backward just to caught sight of his rocky-tree friend quivering with his hands hiding his face.

"Happy!" Ethan called out to him in the form of a shout.

Still quivering, the Sudowoodo raised his head just enough to look at his trainer. **"Ethan… Pfft…. Heh…"** In his face is a crocked smirk, going from side to side of his long facial features. **"So stupid… Hehe…. Hahah…."** Barely containing himself, Happy raised his left arm and pointed one of his green rocky-leaf balls at the group of three people. **"HAHAHAHAHAHA! His hair is the stupidest thing I've ever seen."** Blowing up in a fit of laughter, he bent forward but still pointing at the huge man. **"HEHEHAHAHAHA, He looks like a freaking sun-burnt onion, with the little hairs coming out at the top part and all that."**

"Goddammit Happy! You need to focus." Ethan glared at the laughing Pokémon, but his attention readily snapped back to his front as a muffled sound of impact erupted in front of him.

A heavy Rhydon bashed his boulder-solid body against the impassive Typhlosion and grasped around the fire-type's back with his firm hands. Grunting and panting, Rhydon pulled his arms in a fury, desperately trying to lift the Typhlosion off the ground. Yet all his efforts availed to nothing more than just push Flames two steps back. With a ferocious cry, Flames hugged Rhydon in the middle part of his body and violently tossed him against the side of a building.

That was a short and absolute victory for Ethan's team, but the assault has barely started. A large group of fast Pokémon rushed at full speed, getting past the huge burning hole at the middle of the street, the group separated and continued to agro, now from both flanks.

Ethan glared at Happy, the Sudowoodo still too preoccupied with his laugh to do anything. "Can you take both sides?" He looked to Proto as he asked.

" **With ease."** Proto nodded and vanished from his spot. A blur of red flashed wildly onto of the incoming wave of Pokémon on the left. Kicks and swipes spread havoc on their numbers, at each pounding sound, a different Pokémon went flying away and getting knocked out without even putting a real fight. Jolting his piercing gaze back to his trainer's spot, Proto saw the incoming group just a few hopes away from getting onto the man. Doubling his speed, the Scizor practically clawed them all in a single strike, not even the heavy Snorlax was able to withstand the combination of speed and precision of Proto's strike.

From the opposite direction of the bulky Grunt's group, three rays of pure white light flew towards Ethan. Being all small and thin separately, those beams melted together, transforming into a truly terrifying attack. However, enormous red tail swung in the air, meeting the combination of Hyper Beams in a clash of power and eventually smacking the attack away.

"I-Impossible…" A disheartened Grunt said taking some steps away from the darkened circle at the ground. "We can't match him." His utterly hopeless tone instantly getting inside the other members' heads, they all eyed the golden-eyed man with a newfound fear, a fear that managed to thoroughly destroy the confidence they had built.

"So the rumors were true." The taller man on the group of three spoke up. His voice comically enough an ultimate contrast of his appearance, this huge man made out of muscles and popping veins, has a ridiculously high-pitched voice akin to a little kid. This unique specimen of a person, walked a few inches forward, his gaze never leaving his target. However, another tiny detail about him is that at each step he takes his standing flock of hair bounces back and forward.

" **BWAHAHAHAHA, IT BOUNCES!"** Happy outright fell on his back, he grasped his body, wheezing as he laughed too much to keep breathing normally.

"A trainer capable of coordinating his team into multiple battles with just a few words, even better, with a few glances… The man who took down Red! Absolutely astounding." Oblivious to the utter mockery being dished by the rocky Pokémon, the onion man just shook his head at the abnormal behavior of that strange Pokémon. "Eva, Erwin. We will have the honor of crashing the strongest trainer in the world."

"Hah, you bet brother." Eva nodded readily, a giant grin on her lips.

"Hell yeah, Ezra. Although it will be three against one." Erwin added.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ethan watched as the sibling trio tossed their Poké-Balls in the air. "It's always something about Red, huh?" He whispered quietly to himself.

From the three hurled balls, a distinctive team of Pokémon landed on the darkened hole. Two ferocious-looking Nidoking and an even angrier Nidoqueen.

"You go right up with full power!" Eva roared to her Nidoqueen.

"Take the left side!" Ezra commanded his Nidoking.

"Right, Right!" Erwin lazily told his Pokémon, which just as lazily glanced at him and nodded his head.

Flames promptly firmed his feet on the ground, preparing himself for another heavy impact.

"Flames don't take it head-on. Wait for the two square space of always and use **Lava Plume**." Alerted Ethan. "Proto, switch back to one stance only. Focus solely on your position." He continued, taking his eyes even further beyond the incoming threat. The shadow of a few Grunts slipping pass his position did not escape his vision. "Rage, detach from us and spread your attention to the avenue."

Ethan thought of giving Happy any input, but it was already too late. The Nidoqueen was on top of Flames, the first Nidoking slashed away a sweep of Proto's claw. Worse than that, the second Nidoking was on top of Ethan, its menacing eyes glaring hungrily at the man's figure.

" **Gaaaah! Not like that, stupid!"** Happy bounced out of the ground, his body darting upwards like an arrow, with his enflamed fist connecting with the Nidoking's chin, sending the ground Pokémon more than a few steps back. **"There is nothing that I dislike more than someone that bothers me when I'm having fun. Gonna beat you up, stupid!"**

"Finally ready to do something, Happy?" Ethan teased his companion, giving him a side little smirk.

" **Shut up, stupid! I did plenty already!"** Happy flailed his arms at his trainer. **"But, gaaah. I really want to beat that onion face of his right now."**

A violently heated wave of fire exploded from Flame's body, the blazing waves rampaging like a wild inferno. The attack was fast and ruthless; the Nidoqueen had barely any time to react before she got blasted away and sent flying back to her trainer.

Eva let out a deafening screech in horror, her eyes tearing up as she laid next to her Nidoqueen.

" **Geeh… Is he in a bad mood or what?"** Happy glanced at Flames, with a spooked face.

A loud volley of strikes sounded from the left. Ezra's Nidoking did and splendid job parrying Proto's first combo of attacks, but the pink royalty is not familiar with his kind of speed and in a matter of seconds, a flurry of steeled punches and kicks overwhelmed him. Proto jumped high, using his wings to impulse his leap even more. Like a guided spear, the Scizor's leg dove at extreme speed connecting right on top of Nidoking's forehead. The force of the flying kick was enough to unbalance the pink Pokémon, making him lower his head, in this frame of opportunity a blur of red appeared behind him, slashing upwards with a flashing steel-uppercut.

Just like the blue Nido, Erza's Pokémon went sliding unconsciously towards him. The hulking man scowled after seeing how easily that Scizor handled his most trusted Pokémon.

" **Ooooaaaahh, Take this, and this, and this and this!"** Happy went on a full rampage against the last remaining threat. At each 'and this' he shouted at the top of his lungs, he delivered a different kind of special punch; sometimes a **Fire Punch** , then a **Thunder Punch,** and of course lots of **Ice Punches. "DON'T YOU EVER CROSS ME AGAIN, STUPID!** " He shouted even louder than before, connecting a powerful combination of **Fire** and **Thunder** on the Nidoking's body. This one flying not only towards his trainer but landing right on top of him. This time both Pokémon and trainer getting knocked out of combat.

From the background, a thundering roar filled Rustboro's main avenue. Rage bit, bashed and laser beamed all the sneaking Rainbow Rocket members that were trying to pass by without fighting Ethan directly.

Ethan could not help himself but grin. He saw all the attention focused on him; every man and woman breathing at the rhythm of the glances he throws at them. Feeling more than comfortable to play with their hearts, the champion took a loud step forward, forcing the entire army to take several steps back.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Shouted Eva from her crouched position, tears still hanging on the side of her eyes but never falling down. "We are in hundreds here, GET HIM!" She ordered the mob, but none of them moved.

The lower members all stared at the muscular woman, their faces all saying what their clenched mouths could not. 'We charge in and do what?'

"What a pathetic sight, fufufu…" A playful voice sounded from behind the black-dressed horde.

Most of them, even the newer members recognized the voice with just one sentence. Some gasped as they turned to look back, others let out a sigh of relief. Hopping her way from the city's entrance, a girl with a flashy white dress filled with small rainbow-colored balls, glared at all the underlings.

"You heard Eva." She slapped one of the Grunts closest to her, making the man topple and fall. She giggled at his shocked reaction and played with her blond twin tail. "KEEP GOING AT HIM, THROW YOURSELVES AGAINST THAT FOOL EVEN IF YOUR BODY BREAKES." She growled with a dark venom in her voice. A chilling difference from her cutesy looks.

"That girl…" Ethan eyed the blondie, his memory tracing her face from not only that day on Ever Grande, but also his first day in Hoenn.

"Enforcer Violet!" One of the goons called out to her, with an entranced tone in his voice. "I WILL DO IT!" He announced with a raging puff of his chest. "For Lady Violet, I will take anyone down."

As if only her evil cute smile is a prize worth of dying for, the whole crowd of Grunts went in a frenzy. Their fears gone, their hesitation was gone, all that is left is a crazed look in their eyes and a blood intent of taking down that damned golden-eyed man.

Ethan chuckled quietly at the incoming full force of their army marching hastily towards him. "So now the real fun begins."

* * *

Brendan finally took his first step inside the small city of Ever Grande. With Zinnia at his side, the couple has been battling a seemingly never-ending number of invaders ever since they crossed the sea of flowers. Violen, Brendan's Gallade and Zinnia's Salamence tackled and trampled at all opposition, no villain stood a slight chance against them.

With the strange amount of people he encountered just in his way here, Brendan feared the worse as he reached the entrance of the city. To his surprise, the only glaring difference from the usual peaceful Ever Grande is a large number of Rainbow Rocket members lying unconscious on the streets.

Sidney, the dark-type master of the Elite Four, stands tall at the side of a building lazily rubbing his chin as his Scrafty glare at their previous opponents lying on the ground. "Yo, Brendan." With just two fingers standing out, he waved his right hand at his colleague.

"Hey, Sidney." Brendan waved in response with Zinnia giving a silently nod to the pink-haired man. "What's happening around here? We crossed paths with at least twenty of them as we ran from the summit."

"Dunno. They just appeared out of nowhere." Sidney replied with a low shrug. "Me and the gang were having a dinner party at a restaurant when those bastards began to rain from the sky."

"From the sky? All of them?" Zinnia jolted her gaze to the starry evening sky, a doubtful look in her features.

"Well, that's what people said. When we got out of the building, they were around making trouble on the streets." Sidney rubbed the back of his head, showing a little more annoyed mood than he generally has. "Luckily we wiped them all before they could do any real damage. Phoebe and Glacia took the other side of the town. Old man Drake was just here with me, now he is standing guard at the falls."

"I see…" Brendan frowned. "Sorry for not getting here sooner."

"Nah, don't sweat about it." Sidney's reply came with a short smile. "Despite them ruining our dinner, I had a lot of fun battling against those suckers. Anyway, you should meet up with Drake. He was worried about you."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Sidney." Brendan gave another apologetic nod to Sidney and the man just nodded back, shooing the younger trainer away.

Taking the hand of his girlfriend, they both dashed towards the southern exit of the city. Diving deeper at the silent avenues of Ever Grande, the couple saw more and more Grunts spread all around, some of them with some serious injuries all over their bodies. They probably gritted on Drake's nerves in more ways than just attacking his loved city, and got the full blow of his wrath.

A suspicious that quickly got confirmed as Brendan arrived at the giant cliff of the flowery mountain and saw the veteran dragon tamer glaring down at the sea, fuming with anger.

"Aggravating pests. I never witnessed such a lack of respect and empathy." Drake growled angrily, the old man ruffled his long white mustache, as his eyes never left the scene unfolding below the giant falls. "I grew worried about your delay." The old man said, most likely to Brendan who was close enough to hear him. "I thought that they maybe got to you."

"They definitely reached me, but they aren't faring much better than the ones sleeping on the streets." Brendan gave the angered old trainer a chirp smirk. "How are things here, Drake?"

"Look for yourself." Drake pointed to the darkened sea below them.

Sensing the extra edge on the man's voice, Brendan just moved closer to the edge, standing right next to Drake. This far out from the city and any light source other than the moon and stars, Brendan could clearly see the unsettling movements of the waves, with various different silhouettes lurking down there.

"As you can see the group attacking from the sky was not the only one aiming at Ever Grande. Unfortunately for the fools up here, we halted their plans before those ones could climb up." Drake growled again. He narrowed his eyes trying to see the face of at least one of them, but in the end, he had no success in that. "They have been there… just watching… This silent interlude is almost unbearable."

"They just stood there?" Asked Zinnia. "What are they waiting for?"

Drake eyed the draconid woman, giving her a welcoming nod. Even the harsh old man has warmed up to the brash girl as she spent so much time at the league halls. "That's an easy answer. They're waiting for that to come back." Drake did a half-circle twirl, the lower part of his dark coat flying up at his motion. Closing one eye as he glanced upwards, he raised his arm and pointed up.

At first glance, neither Brendan nor Zinnia understood what the dragon tamer was talking about, however, with a longer stare and further evaluation they noticed a strange phenomenon happening up there. This evening is chilly but still very much enjoyable, with not a single heavy cloud in the sky hiding the stars behind them. Yet, in this star brighten picture of a darkened sky, there is a strangely large chunk of it, which is completely dark save for a few illuminated spots that are clearly to close to the planet.

"The hell is that?" Zinnia was the first of the two to speak up. "Is like the sky is missing a piece."

"That's a giant aircraft, I believe." Drake replied. "And I also believe it was from that thing that those thugs dropped from."

"That aircraft, has it been flying all over Hoenn?" Brendan asked with a heavy feeling in his chest. He glanced back to Drake, who just gave him a weak unknowledgeable shrug. "Could they being attacking the entire region at the same time?"

"A grim supposition, but a more plausible one than they just attacking the League's grounds before anywhere else." With another growl, Drake resumed his stern watch over the waterfall, now his face carrying more than just utter annoyance. "We could repel their attack with ease since Ever Grande is the seat of so much raw power between the League and the worth trainers that come in here. But…"

"An army that large in any other city and they will certainly overrun it." Brendan gritted his teeth, his suspicious quickly changing to a haunting reality. Whatever games Rainbow Rocket was trying to play before, now is over. This is a direct declaration of war against Hoenn.

From the side of his neck, a single drop of cold sweat ran down on Brendan's skin. Once again, he found himself trapped, fooled and overtaken with anger. Anger towards those cowards that never cease to attack innocents and anger towards himself, who failed to stop them before it got like this.

Brendan pulled his flute from one of the deepest pockets of his long pants, his face writhing in a raging scowl. "This… is enough!" He brought his arms up, ready to play the flute and then.

A firm embrace caught him from behind, a familiar warmth pressing against the young champion. "Where are you going?" Zinnia asked him with a low wary voice. Her sharp red eyes staring at him with apprehension.

"I can't leave those bastards lay waste to Hoenn." Brendan spat back with a bit more intensity than he intended to respond to his lover. "It is stupid to fly out in the middle of the night, I know that… However, I will not let that thing spit even more criminals on top of our cities."

"So we will bring it down?" She said, holding even tighter to him.

"No, I will." His response was short and cold, earning him a disappointed and displeased glare from her. Seeing the brewing storm coming his way, Brendan pulled Zinnia by her arm and properly embraced her. "Zinnia, I need you here with Drake and all the others to watch over Ever Grande. If everything goes bad, we can still count on this place for safety."

"That's true and all that, but the old man doesn't need my help. He can clearly stop those losers by himself." Zinnia felt the long sigh coming from Brendan by the pressure of his chest and that made her even more desperate. "I can help you! What's the difference I would make here that I couldn't do up there with you?"

Brendan pulled himself away harshly, impatience already getting the better of his mood when. "BECAUSE I CAN'T DO THIS WITH YOU THERE!" He shouted angrily at her. Frowning at her scared reaction, he just pulled another object out of his pockets and showed it to her. "I will take that thing down, but I don't want you to see me doing it. I don't want you seeing me like that." He eyed the black Poké-Ball in his hand, feeling vexed at his need to use this beast again. "Please, Zinnia… Aster needs you too."

Holding a few stray tears in the corner of her eyes, Zinnia bit her lips, quietly turning away from Brendan. Her weak hesitant nod was everything she could muster to return to him because if she tried to speak up, the words coming out of her mouth would make everything worse and ending up hurting not only Brendan but herself as well.

Watching her small back faintly quiver as she holds her pretense of standing strong, how her nails are digging deep in the flash of her palms. This feels like a huge blow directly at Brendan's chest, his heart aches any time he sees his girlfriend being anything but the noisy awesome woman that she usually is.

Yet, there is very little he can do about it now. He has to go up there and fight alone, something that Zinnia can't and will not accept gladly. So, his only option left is to go up there and fight. Taking his flute to his lips, Brendan played Latios' song to which the mystic hastily appeared, diving down from the cloudless sky.

"This time… I'll not lose it." He said calmly as he mounted up in the blue dragon's back. "I will keep my control and properly stop them this time. Then we can go back to dotting on Aster, okay?" He glanced back at Zinnia with a little sheepish smile.

To his surprise, she has turned around and it is intently staring at him, her bright red eyes burning the image of Brendan's smile inside her head. "That's a promise." She said with a little smile of her own. "I love you." Those words served as the last weight that broke down her tough act, making those sole tears slid down from her eyes.

"I love you too." Brendan responded right before Latios gave a loud cry and zoomed out into the sky.

* * *

A deafening explosion erupted from the southern gate of Rustboro, an echoing sound that ran all over the city. A dust cloud rises from the battle thorn streets, only to get quickly swiped away by the gushes of wind made by the aerial battles of Comet against several others flying Pokémon.

Gasping hard as heavy drops of sweat run all over his face, Ethan eyed his surrounding just to marvel at the unnecessary destruction has already been dished in this populated area. From the oppressive horde that assaulted him minutes before, not much than five of them are still standing. A sea of unconscious Pokémon extended all around them, making this a proper grim battlefield.

However, the champion's victories had not come without a cost. Rage, who after ramping on top of so many stragglers, got weary of his own battles only to be completely knocked out by a stray combination of rays.

Proto, who overworked himself the most, dashed and slashed all around the lengthy avenue. He clashed against numerous opponents, but his blinding speed took a heavy toll on his body, forcing the poor Scizor to shut down with exhaustion.

Comet still holds domain over the sky, taking down any threat that things of approaching her trainer from above. While Happy and Flames are standing in front of Ethan, both bruised and tired, with Happy being in a worse state out of the two.

" **Say, Ethan, isn't time to bring out the big angry stupid?"** Happy whined as he gasped for air.

"Sorry Happy… I cannot do that." Ethan eyed his hurting Sudowoodo, the easygoing nature of the Pokémon now completely gone. "This place is surrounded by houses and buildings." His golden eyes traveled to a nearby two-store house, a quivering silhouette watching everything from inside the darkened room. "If I unleash Lugia here… I don't even want to think about it."

" **But then…"** Happy looked back to his trainer with a hint of fear in his eyes. A nasty injury on the poor Pokémon's left leg forced him to bow down and slam his right knee on the ground.

"Yeah… Looks like it." Ethan responded with a sarcastic little grin. Both Flames and Happy stared at their trainer with awe, but also terrified. "Comet!" He shouted up high, making his gallant Pidgeot scoop down and land at his side.

" **Give me your arm. I can fly you out of here in a second."** She boasted proudly.

"We do that and they shot you down from the sky. Sorry, I can't do that either." Instead of following his shiny Pokémon's suggestion, Ethan pulled a purple Poké-Ball from his pockets and pushed it over to Comet's claws. "Take this and go after Silver."

" **But Ethan!"**

"No buts just go." He pushed the Poké-Ball even more against Comet, making her grabbed it almost unwillingly. The golden-feathered bird reached the ball with one claw and leaned forward with her upper body, pressing her face against her trainer's forehead. "You be a good girl, okay?"

Getting teared-eyed at his calmer than usual words, Comet gave one last playful peck on his cheek and then flapped her eyes furiously, vanishing up from that place in nothing more than a second.

" **Gaah… So it will be just the three of us now?"** Happy said with a playful smirk.

Ethan chuckled at his Sudowood antics and took another Poké-Ball out. "You shut up and go to sleep already." As the rocky-tree opened his mouth to protest, he felt a light bop on his back. With a little show of light, the tired and injured Sudowood disappeared back to his cozy Poké-Ball.

" **Why you always get in your head to do the troublesome things?"** Flames gave a loud sigh as he complained. But his remark came out much more as a joke than a real complaint, which is rare to the jaded Pokémon and his usual moody self.

"Because it is more fun this way, right partner?" Giving a light playful smack in his Typhlosion's back, Ethan walked up and stood firm beside his oldest companion. "What you say, should we gave them one last piece of trouble?"

" **Like we have many choices."** Flames spat back, nonetheless a large smile on his face.

"Hell yeah, that's the spirit!" The raven-haired trainer shouted from the top of his lungs. Like a wild battle cry, his words pushed not only his Pokémon but also himself forward. Coming at full speed towards their enemies, Human and Pokémon ran at the same speed side by side.

"Wha- What are they doing?" A grunt gasped in surprise.

"What does it matter what he is doing?!" Violet screeched loudly, the venom-tongued girl already foaming from her mouth after seeing so many of her underlings fall in battle. "JUST BEAT HIM DOWN!" Her high-pitched scream echoed all around, pushing all the five goons she has left, together with her own prized Pokémon, a menacing-looking Arbok.

From his front, Flames dodged the incoming strike of a Heracross proceeding to pummel the blue bug in its chest with a fire-coated punch. With no respite, the poisonous fang of the purple snake sunk from the side, sinking in deep on the Typhlosion already bruised skin. Flames withstood not only the pain but also the impact of Arbok's body crashing against him. The villainous purple Pokémon wrapped himself all around his body and began to press the entire weight of her body against him, yet still, Flames didn't yield.

"JUST FINISH IT!" Violet screamed again, raging by the fact that her Arbok is incapable of stopping that monster of a Pokémon.

"I got this, ma'am." A female grunt shouted proudly. "Ampharos, topple that thing over with your **Iron Tail.** " The woman commanded and her Ampharous cried loudly in response.

The electric yellow ship dashed wildly onto the restrained Typhlosion, her long tail shining up with a silver light. Taking her lower body back to then thrust forward, her tail swung violently towards her target. Yet it never connected.

"Hey you, careful with that." Ethan gave a wicked smile to the confused Ampharus as his both hands held onto her tail with all his might. Some veins threated to burst at the muscles of his biceps, as he locked the yellow Pokémon in place, still, he never let go of her tail.

Taking advantage of the little time and space created, Flames roared in his full remaining force, combusting his entire body in a wild inferno of flames. The stubborn Arbok tried to maintain a hold of his body, but the heat eventually got too much for the snake and she slid away from her. With the freedom of his legs and arms returning, Flames stomped on the ground taking enough impulse to fly at Ampharos and smash the electric ship to the other side of the town, in the same momentum grab Arbok's tail, and completely smash the snake against the cracked street.

"I-I-Impossible…" One of the Grunts went to the ground, her legs shaking wildly. "How can a normal person stop a Pokémon's attack like that?"

"He is not normal… Is he even human…?' Even Violet felt shaken by the display. She tried everything, she tossed every man and woman at her disposal against this man and all of them failed. From the overwhelming army invading from the south, now only a trio of scared out of their mind trainer are remaining.

"Heh… Goddamn, you guys…" Ethan called out to them with a playful tone. His chest going up and down frantically, his breath almost giving out from fatigue. "I never expected to be pushed this-" From nothing, his entire world seaming to stop and everything around him began to spin out of control. A massive Tyranitar practically landed out of nowhere right beside Ethan and with a ruthless swing of his heavy arm, sent the man flying spinning against the side of a house.

" **ETHAN!"** Flames cried out enrage. He more than readied himself to throw his body against the bastard of a Pokémon that attacked his partner. However, like a flash of light, a furious Aegislash flew down from the sky and pinned Flames against the ground. This last forceful impact against the more than exhausted Pokémon's back completely shut him down.

Falling like a boulder right next to his Tyranytar, Raz laughed like a maniac as he looked down to the immobile champion.

From the other side, a red-eyed young man stepped out from the shadows, slowly pacing closer to his brutal Royal Sword Pokémon.

"I heard the bastard was giving you a tough time, Violet." Raz spat out, glancing condescendingly at the dumbfounded girl.

Josh on the other hand just stared at Ethan, his red eyes piercing at the downed man's image like a curiously, marveled creature.

Bleeding from way too many spots for him to notice them all, Ethan barely had the strength to slide his body into a proper lying position before his vision darkened and his senses dulled. In his last awake breath, his bleeding lips moved slowly, raggedly... he ever so desperately tried to say those words. "Sorry… Silver." Everything went back after that.

Latios soared the sky at a body freezing speed, forcing Brendan to clack his teeth unconsciously at the harsh cold winds. The blue dragon flew relentlessly towards their goal, with the trainer on top of him steeling himself to the terrible measure he had to take.

"This ends… tonight." He whispered to himself, as that gigantic aircraft got closer and more visible to them.

Then, from a deserted isle below on the deep stray waters outside of Sootopolis City, a lightning-fast spear of ice flew up, exploding its entire frozen surface against Latios chest. With a pained cry, the blue dragon came to a halt, his entire body hurting. The pain is so big that his flying ability got shut down, making both him and Brendan free fall down to the cold sea waters.

Shivering with the cold and soaked clothes, Brendan dragged himself to the closest piece of dry land he could've found. Luckily, for him and Latios, he had brought the empty Pokémon the blue dragon used to reside in, making possible for Brendan to save his poor friend from drowning down there.

Yet, in a twist of fate, a fate of which Brendan cannot run away from anymore. The safe-haven he has found for himself is also the only piece of land around him, which makes this the point of origin of the attack that brought Latios down.

An alarming jolt raised from his spine making Brendan jump in his feet and throw his gaze at the figure standing right in front of him.

Red and blue meet red and blue, two pairs of identical eyes carrying the same intensity in them. The same faces staring at each other, one in shock and surprise while the other is carefree enjoying the occasion.

From the dark consuming silent, the mirror image in front of Brendan ushered the words that would not only start the inevitable but also change their lives forever.

"Nice to meet you… Brendan." Spiegel called out to his equal, a twisted smirk flashing on his face.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	25. Duality

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** A heads up before the chapter. Anything that is written in Italic, that's a flashback.

Another side note, I decided to do another "extra spicy" thing for this chapter, seeing the lack of complains on the Linoone's one. So I will once again be leaving a link for a music to give you guys a bit more of mood and the feeling of the scene. Again, it's not mandatory, but I think it is pretty cool and adds a fun factor while reading it.

* * *

" _So you want to destroy Groudon and then fill everything up with water. Is that right?" Spiegel asked incredulous, so much so, that he shifted from his spot to give a long glance at the back of the large blue Primal's back._

" _ **He is a perversion, a failure and an antithesis to everything that I am."**_ _Kyogre replied with his usual angry piercing growl, making tiny waves of water rise everywhere around them._

" _That doesn't answer my question." The young man spat back with a dirty grin, taking a little shot at his railed up traveling companion._

" _ **Yes, that is correct."**_ _Surprisingly enough, Kyogre gave in to the human's provocation._ _ **"The domain of water is the source of every life, and the natural state this world should be in."**_

" _You like water, I get that. However, if you want to be surrounded by water so much, why stay over here so next to dry land? I mean, most of the world is covered by water already, shouldn't you just be out there, enjoying yourself?"_

" _ **In a world where THAT exist… there is no enjoying myself. If left alone, he could turn everything to nothing more than dried ashes."**_ _Kyogre's yellow eyes flashed with anger, the old primal slammed on of his large fins on the sea, forming now a massive wave that went as far as the coast and then died out against a cliff._ _ **"What would you do in my place, if there is an existence out there that can threaten the very soul of your being?"**_

" _But how many years have passed with him awake and the world didn't burn?" Spiegel's words cut deep on the ancestral Pokémon's logic, yet didn't manage to push him for his ideals. "He can be controlled. Heck, I've kept him under control all these years, didn't I?"_

_Kyogre remained in silence, keeping his eyes to the never-ending line of blue in front of them._

" _Sure, It wasn't me, me. Doesn't change the fact that one Brendan maintained peace with the molten monster." Spiegel who was lying on his back on top of Kyogre's large body, staring peacefully at the clean blue sky, jumped up into a sitting position. He stretched his arms and slapped his legs. "Kyogre, I promise you this, whatever it takes, I will find a solution to your problem. You're not alone anymore." Smiling silly with boisterous expression in his features, the young man patted his giant companion on the back. In the span of such few days, the hostility between the two almost vanishing, a strange bond being formed with the two. "Besides, if I leave you two alone, then everyone will end up drowning away or burned to a crisp."_

" _ **A solution, huh…"**_ _Still not convinced by only words, Kyogre still contemplated the idea of losing himself to the deep unknown blue of the worldwide ocean. For the first time in his existence, another thought other than destroying Groudon crossed the primal's mind. It is strange, almost unnerving, which made the gigantic Pokémon feel silly. However, even burying this reverie deep and far down on his sea of thoughts, the primal blue could not deny that it didn't sound so bad. It didn't sound bad at all._

* * *

"Nice to meet you… Brendan." Spiegel called out to his equal, a twisted smirk flashing on his face.

Brendan clenched his eyes, his cone of visual barely catching a view of the shadow in front of him. This shadow, a silhouette of exact his height, is staring at him. Various paces of length from Brendan, two gleaming gems at glaring at him with a cutting sharp focus. As confusing and scary as this hidden figure is, it pales in comparison to the titanic form floating in the water.

"W-who… are you?" Brendan's voice stuttered, a piercing pressure pressing against his heart. His voice resonating in the silent night made the massive creature stir, round cold yellow eyes glowing down at his form.

"Oh, but that is an easy question to answer." Spiegel replied with an unending amount of glee. The sound of his firm feet stomping at the sandy ground startled the young champion, a reaction better than anything else he has expected. "You know, I waited quite a few time for this moment. Mulling over each word I should say, rehearsing each line that would come out of my mouth right at this point here." The voice became closer, as the form in the darkness stopped being just a silhouette and more of its features took a color, a form. "But I can't say any of it. Looking at you… I only feel sickened." Finally, a louder thump pressed right in front of Brendan, a man standing out and stopping right then and there. "Because it's ever so uncanny to stare right back at yourself. Isn't it that right, me?"

A long line of brown hair falls down on his back, two large bangs at the sides of his face, the always-defining characteristic Brendan always had. Every feature adorning his face is the exact the same, to the form of his forehead down to the curve of his chin. Even worse, the same eyes that began to plague Brendan's thoughts after they changed over from their original form, are there glowing in blue and red. To look at this man is just like staring at an unhinged mirror.

Brendan's frown only deepened as his eyes glided down to the rest of this person's body. "Where did you get that?" He asked with an aggressive hiss. Topping all else, as in a mockery act, this man is wearing Brendan's clothes. A dark red long-sleeved shirt with a black line pattern in its texture, a pair of dark gray pants with a black line on the sides lastly the pair of green and white short boots. From top to bottom, there is no mistake and no differences; those are Brendan's own clothes.

Spiegel's smirk widened at the question. "You liked them?" He asked with a shrug.

This time Brendan was the one taking a long and heave step forward, stopping inches away from the other man. "I asked. Where did you get those?" His voice sounding threatening in more the one way.

His mirror image looked unfazed, bored even. He matched Brendan's gaze with a piercing glare, blue meeting red, while red met blue. "Second rock under the old oak by the side of the house." He responded naturally, shrugging off once more. "I remember to always keep a spare key in that spot… I looked over there and voilà, free entrance to my home."

Brendan stiffened but still looked straight and focused. His eyes trailed to the side just for a moment, taking in the information, and then they jumped right back to his equal's face. "That's my home, not yours. I don't know how you got that bit of information or any kind of leverage you think you have over me. But this will not work." He went forward and tackled his left fist on the man's chest, pushing him back. "You're just an idiot using my face as a mask. There's nothing else to it."

"In Ekkisu's right left-blade, there is a tiny cut, an injury he got in our first fight against Groudon." Spiegel said calmly.

"What?" Brendan gazed at the man, getting even more puzzled. To know about his spare key was something, but an old thing and to every detail… Something is greatly wrong about this.

Closing his eyes and taking a long breath Spiegel continued. "At the end of winter, watching the fireworks in Dewford Town, we made plans to build a large house at Littleroot and move over there… with May. Actually, that was akin to a proposal but she didn't get the meaning behind it, did she?" He gave a weak little laugh as he finished speaking, taking his eyes back to the shining stars above them.

"How do you-"

Spiegel cut his other-self off as he raised one hand up. With this said hand, he reached over and pinched the skin of cheek with his fingers giving rash and fast pulls. "See, this is no mask." The clone posed himself as if ready to battle, with one hand in his pockets and the other on his waist. "This is not a dream; this is not a nightmare, Brendan!" He shouted madly, for the first time railing himself up. "I am your other half, you like it or not. This is reality! But today… This duality ceases to exist."

* * *

Persona 4: I'll Face Myself -Battle- ======= (watch?v=IORp_o7bnvM)

* * *

Taking a firm step back, twirling his left side around and hurling his arms forward. Spiegel tossed one of his Poké-Balls at Brendan. A blur of colors darted toward the unprepared trainer, the ball slamming itself at the young man's chest, parting itself in two parts. In a dazzling show of light, a second form appeared on top of Brendan, and without warnings, piercing white claws cut the air in front of him.

In his practically unnatural reaction speed, Brendan tossed himself backwards, jumping on his back against the sand, just nearly getting hacked by the incoming attack. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the now visible Sandslash running at him, claws at high and ready to strike. Eyes widened in surprise, the champion's only reaction was to get the first thing in his pockets and throw it against the raging ground-hedgehog.

Sandslash swiped the object with one of her claws, parrying it with easy but also activating the Poké-Ball that parted in two. Another flash of light came to life, this time calling an angry-looking Sceptile out. Ekkisu barely landed his feet on the sand and immediately summersaulted over the Sandslash's head. With a blinking fast speed, he dragged his right leaf-blade downwards, aiming a perfect strike at his opponent's back.

However, to Ekkisu and Brendan's surprise. That Sandslash did an impressive spin of her entire body, a twirl of one-eighty, just in time to raise her claws and block the attack. Locked from that position, but also holding the Sceptile in place, the ground Pokémon bent her body just a bit forward to aim her large spikes at him. With no words coming from her trainer, the ferocious little thing unleashed a volley of rocky spikes at the grassy-lizard.

Disappearing from his dangerous spot, Ekkisu gracefully landed beside his trainer. Even after dodging the entirety of Sandslash's vicious attack, he still got hit by a few stray spikes, his right leg being the one most grazed by the hits.

"You cannot win, Brendan." Spiegel taunted from his position. "Ekkisu is a strong Pokémon, maybe the strongest I've ever known. But this is also his downfall… I know all about him."

Spiegel's words did little to move Brendan or get any reaction out of him, but the same cannot be said about his Sceptile. Ekkisu instantly recognized the voice, he jerked his head to the side and saw his trainer standing at the other side of this battle. He then glanced to his right side and saw Brendan also standing next to him. The sheer confusion showing on the poor Pokémon's face was enough to make both Brendan's cringe.

"Is this how I sound to people when I battle against then? So arrogant and full of myself? Now I know why Wally felt so angry that day." Brendan said in a joke, although his face is doing little more than frown. "To someone that looks like me, you sure don't have the same talent as I have. To still use a ground type against Ekkisu of all Pokémon."

"Small thinking on your part. That's why you will die here." The response came almost at the same time. "Sandslash, **Dig** and take out his balance from below." Spiegel threw one hand forward commanding his Pokémon to attack.

"Ekkisu, use your tail to stay out of the sand and use **Night Slash** at the first moment it pops out." Brendan threw his right hand forward just the same as if he was mimicking the other man's form. Probably it's the other way around.

For a few long moments, the battle came to a halt. No sound was made as no one dared to move from their spots. Brendan and Ekkisu frantically scanned their surroundings and each little mound of sand next to them, while Spiegel just watched them in guard. From one of the higher mounts next to Ekkisu, Sandslash pointy-head popped out, with her white claws shining with all intentions to strike.

"NOW!" Brendan shouted and his Pokémon followed the command.

Ekkisu launched himself from his spot by pressing his upper body against his long tail on the ground, the green lizard tossed his left arm behind and then shot it forward, aiming directly at his opponent's forehead. Fast and strong, Ekkisu's strike came with full intention to down the other Pokémon with just one hit, yet his leaf blade swing and missed. The violent wave of his arm slashed at nothing as the Sandslash surfed back on the sand as if the ground was made out of water.

"As always, he gets too involved in his attack to do anything else." Watching 'his' Sceptile acting so predictable felt somewhat annoying to him, yet this is an unfortunate and required ordeal he has to get through. So pushing back the hesitation growing inside of him, Spiegel bit his lips and shouted. "Use **Fury Cutter**!"

In the tail of Spiegel's ringing voice, a single line of white slashed from below. Within the nature of its name, Sandslash merciless attack slashed furiously at Ekkisu's back. Crying loudly in pain, the Sceptile flew far high, landing at the edge of the water, a thin line of blood starting to running down green skin.

"Ekkisu, please stand down. You've done enough already."

Like a bittersweet flavor that had invaded his throat, this command coming with a calming voice only served to push Ekkisu over the edge. The green Pokémon jolted his head up, glaring confused at his trainer, only to see Brendan not looking at him, instead, glaring ever so fiercely at the other man. Noticing that the owner of that so familiar voice is not his long-time partner, Ekkisu jumped on his feet, shooting daggers with his eyes.

" **Hmph, I will show you how much I can do!"** The Sceptile armed his leaf-blades at his front, aiming his attack at the opposing Pokémon.

"You can do much, I know… Oh, how I know that my friend." Spiegel countered, again with a saddened look on his face. "But even if is it you, I will not hold back."

" **You… can understand me?"** Ekkisu eyed the man with newfound curiosity, but with this, he lowered his arms as well as his guard.

"Ekkisu, here they come!" Brendan called out. Seeing the sand-surfing Sandslash coming at them, the trainer jerked his head to the side, throwing a side-glance at his leafy friend.

Advancing like a silent killer, Sandslash jumped from her sand wave continuing on her previous attack. White claws descended from above in a flicker of white, a loud screech sounded from the Sceptile as the skin of his chest ripped in a long deep line, more blood splattering on the ground.

Still, hurting and bleeding, Ekkisu didn't kneel on backed away. This time, his sharp eyes glinted with a wild determination and his body stormed forward with renewed stamina.

"Ekkisu put everything up in this attack. Use **Leaf Storm!** " Brendan stomped right ahead swinging his left arm forward, his words pushing his old friend as nothing else can.

Therefore, the Sceptile's rough voice roared aloud and strongly. Bursts of leaves exploded from his tail, a shower of razor-edges circling in a fervor all around the trapped Sandslash.

Spiegel felt a little troubled grin appear on his lips. He also took a stern step forward, jolting his arm just like his other peer. "Remember ours several hours of training right for this moment. Break his offensive… Take him down!"

In a snap of air lash, the small dome of leaves went in disarray, each of the little glinting sharp leaves that were hovering in unison suddenly halted in the air, turned their sharpest side to their target and dove in. Spiegel and his Pokémon did not only expect this much but they also read at each little move. Sandslash curled up in an unreachable ball and began to spin as fast as her body could take. Leaf clashed against rocky-spikes, the spikes tingled and vibrated which every single hit, yet all the leaves not only failed to penetrate her defenses but also got rejected everywhere, some flying towards Brendan, others to his clone.

Spinning even faster, stronger. Sandslash broke away from Ekkisu's **Leaf Storm** , rolling violently toward her opponent; she jumped from her spot, landing right on top of him.

"Ekkisu!" Brendan called out in despair, his eyes widened like two saucers seeing the impending explosion about to occur.

Sandslash hissed angrily, raising her voice for the first time. She stretched her body, pushing her arms to the sides the curl of spike she had made exploded in a wake of furious earthen spikes flying everywhere but mostly piercing Ekkisu's unprotected body.

At each painful puncture forcing their way inside his limps and his body, Ekkisu cried painfully. His entire being hurting and aching, with the excruciating pain his senses and consciousness began to fade away. His yellow eyes closing little by little, his thoughts sinking down into a bottomless pit of darkness. However, with his last awaken thought; Ekkisu shifted his tired eyes to his friend, his desperate yelling friend.

"Ek… su… Ekkisu!" Brendan's exalted voice pierced the encroaching void threatening to take away his friend.

Ekkisu's barely open eyes shot open in a frenzy, his body felt an eruption of adrenaline coursing all over his veins. Roaring madly as he raised his arm, Ekkisu passed through everything in front of him; his pain, the still clinging spikes stopping his legs for moving properly. He pushed everything aside, and with one, a single rapid and devastating strike; His right leaf-blade sung aloud with one last attack.

His parting **Leaf Blade** broke down from above Sandslash's head. She barely had any time to even look at Ekkisu's fazed eyes before his arm clashed onto her, burying the hedgehog's upper body completely under the sands.

He fell down with his chest on the ground, bleeding and unconscious. She remained there, under the sand; her legs twitching but the rest of her body not moving at all.

"Fighting until the end… He really is the best partner." Tears slipping down from his glowing eyes, Spiegel watched the unconscious Sceptile with a grimace taking over any joy over his 'win'. "Hurting someone so dear to me is harder than I imagined it would be."

"Stop with this…" Brendan growled, baring his teeth at the other man. He kneeled over his partner and carefully caressed his bruised body. "I don't get it. This whole idea of you wanting to be me. Claiming to be me as if I would just swallow it up and follow your insane implications." Taking a solid punch at the sand next to him, Brendan shot his body up. This time he pulled out each Poké-Ball, calling out his entire team. His eyes brimming with a furious look, little by little, the same eyes he had on that day in Lilycove are coming back to his features. "I swore to take down the entire organization of Rainbow Rocket. Now I will start with you."

Chuckling playfully at his other self's bold proclamation, Spiegel called out the rest of his team. "I'm not one of them. But I will take your challenge head-on." He pressed forward, his team following his pace. "Come! Let's brake ourselves into each other until only one of us remains."

* * *

" _ **You're weak…"**_ _Echoes of a familiar, dreading familiar voice floated inside Brendan's mind._ _ **"With the power to burn the world into a sunder and reform it anew… You stand idle and do nothing."**_

" _Persistent much?" Brendan thought to himself as a soft joke, his eyes rolling up at Groudon's unceasing grumbles._

" _ **Keep joking, boy. One day you will face not only my hated rival but also my unparalleled rage."**_ _Groudon's always-grumpy deep tone of voice turned into a mocking chuckle._ _ **"Let's us see how you will like my persistency then."**_

_Unsettled by the primal's warning/threat, Brendan shifted his attention back to the shuffling black Poké-Ball. Taking a long breath and letting a sigh escape his lips, he dropped the stack of papers in his hands. Forgetting about the fact that in a few days he will be accepted and named as champion on Hoenn's Pokémon League, he sorely focused his attention to Groudon's 'prison.'_

" _Say. Why are you so angry all the time?" Brendan asked with a clean face, no ill intention in his tone. "I get that you're a legendary beast from ancient times. But isn't suffocating to be engulfed in so much hatred?"_

" _ **I was born from the world's necessity for balance. I came to be for the sole purpose of keeping the deeps away from the surface."**_ _To the teen-ager surprise, Groudon gave a sincere response. Different from all sarcastic commentary he is used to letting out._ _ **"Judged a monster by the Usurper, imprisoned because of the purpose life bestowed onto me! My hatred was born from within my prison. I was unable to move, unable to see, unable to die! In the darkness, I learn to do best in what was only available to me. In total darkness, I learned to hate everything."**_

" _Then, I feel bad for you." Brendan replied with a genuine frown. "To live only for hate and hating everything while you live… That is no better than being dead."_

" _ **The Usurper cursed yourself just as much as he cursed me."**_ _Groudon spoke back._ _ **"Until the reckoning, you shall either perish or succumb to the same darkness that I have."**_

" _Or I could ease up some of the burdens you have inside of you." The young trainer's chirp smirk as a remarkable sight. Not only was he unafraid of the monster sitting inside of the Poké-Ball on top of his desk, but he also felt a strange sympathy for Groudon. "Just you watch it. I will become the best champion Hoenn has ever seen. And then I will take you out of this hatred prison of yours."_

" _ **Huh! What conceited brat."**_ _The molten Primal snorted at his jailer's remarks. Despite his ever-growing hatred of everything, Groudon finds himself curious about the boy, the only human able to defeat him._ _ **"The day where you let me loose will come, boy. Just pray that when it comes, you have succeeded in this plan of yours. Or your world shall burn, together with everything you love."**_

* * *

I'll Face Myself (PERSONA 4) ~Orchestral Battle Arrange~ ==== (watch?v=RKIw0rWSs9s)

* * *

"Stop Violen! That is just a fein-" Before the sentence could properly leave his mouth; Brendan flinched as he watched his Gallade be flanked on both sides by an Armaldo and an Absol. Every time he made a move and gained the upper hand in one of his battles, he then lost the footing on the other two. It is not because he is a worse trainer than this man, that can't be it. They give their commands at the same time and with the same mannerism. No, the difference in their battles lies somewhere else.

Brendan's team is a hard-trained one. A team made of battle experienced Pokémon with countless victories standing on their shoulders. Being as powerful as they are, they can hold on by themselves against almost any opponents even without their trainer's direct commands. Yet, for some reason, this other team reads them like an open book. At each time Brendan's team tries to make an independent move, they are countered in the worse possible way, something that is wearing them out quickly.

"Layla, switch spots with Violen. Focus on the Absol, he is the fasted one." He shouted out the order and his Swellow swoop in, pushing the other pair away from her comrade. Valiantly, Layle flew up onto the sky and dove right back down onto Absol, but before her **Steel Wings** could strike true against her target, a torrent of water came from the ocean, hitting the bird straight on her body, sending her far back up.

" **He is toying with you."** Groudon's voice came alive again. Sounding unnerved and somewhat irate. **"You can't keep ignoring reality. Unleash me, break my chains once more and stand a chance against that freak."**

Brendan's body arched ever so slightly, the young trainer bitting his lips as an annoying pain returned to his head. "Not right now…" He hissed quietly to the primal whispering in his head. "I need to focus on this battle."

" **UNLEASH ME, BOY!"** Groudon screamed inside Brendan's head, forcing the young man to kneel in pain. **"This is not a friendly fight like before. Keep ignoring my advice and he will kill you."**

Brendan pushed himself up, taking his startled eyes to the sky. He took a deep breath and shouted. "LEAVE ME ALONE." His heartbeat went crazy, going almost twice as fast. As his eyes glided swiftly to the surroundings in front of him, it was too late to evade or block the impending punch flying onto his face.

A hard knuckle bashed onto his right cheek, sending Brendan crashing down on the sand. He rolled away and jumped back onto his fast as soon as his back landed on the ground. He noticed his entire team running towards the other man, but the other two Pokémon pushed them all back.

"You're weak." Spiegel said with an amused smirk. "These are his words, aren't they?" He tapped the side of his head with one finger, tilting his face to the side just a little. "I remember how it was to have Groudon screaming inside my head. How painful that was. But… that was you, not me. You see, I stand tall where you falter. I can proudly walk before Kyogre as his master, not as his peon. Brendan, can you do the same with Groudon?" He took one arm up and waved with his hands, motioning for the primal to swim closer. Despite his initial grunt of disapproval, Kyogre did as he was asked.

"Can you… Shut up already?" Brendan spat back. He felt a strange weakness taking over his legs. Not because those huge yellow eyes are staring right down at him, that wasn't it. It came from inside as if his own will to fight was clashing against some other thing inside of him. "Reading information about me from a paper doesn't make you that person. You freak."

"Reading…" In utter shock, the other Brendan just stared at him dumbfounded. Then his lips twisted into an enraged mess. "I AM YOU!" He screamed at the tops of his lungs. "I have your every memory. I have your tastes, I feel the same as you do, you moron. We love the same things, the same people, do you understand?"

Brendan didn't respond with words. His facial expression told everything Spiegel needed to know.

"Yes. I love her too. The same way that I once loved May." He continued, now clenching his fists into a way that almost pierced the skin of the palm of his hands. "I tried so hard. Each day from the past two months; I did nothing else but think of a different way. However, at each lonely night, waking every day in solitude… The only thought in my head was that she was together with you and not me." Spiegel snapped his fingers and as the sound echoed, Kyogre unleashed a brutal beam of pure water. The attack was swift and unstoppable; taking out all three Pokémon Brendan had called out. "That's why I need to do this." He eyed his original self with resolution, despite his hesitating look in his face, he had made his mind about this. "Sorry." He snapped his fingers once more, this time his and Kyogre's eyes aiming directly at Brendan.

Brendan had no time to think or formulate anything in his head. His world slowed down as his hands traveled back to his back pockets. His heart nearly jumping out from his chest as a beam of shredding water flew at him. In a move totally out of reflex, he swung his arm forward, tossing the cursed black Poké-Ball forward.

A piercing howl stormed the place. Kyogre's deadly attack exploded on Groudon's unbreakable chest and died out as if was nothing. Both Primals stared at each other in utter disgusted and rage. Kyogre opened his mouth to unleash another beam, now ten time its previous size, but as the water began to gather in front of him, Groudon jumped forward and slashed his rival's face, practically smashing the blue giant onto the ocean.

"The molten titan… I shall bury you once more on the same depths you were stuck for centur-" With his eyes completely glued on the form of the red monster rampaging in front of him, Spiegel missed the dashing man coming onto him, letting Brendan return in the same coin the punch from before.

"I don't know what you are. But I had enough of you… You will never touch her." Glaring from above, Brendan spat these words, before running right after his other-self rolling down on the sands.

He jumped with his fist ready to smack the downed man against the ground. Then from above, a pair of firm feet stroke him on his stomach, making the champion hurl spit as the air escaped his lungs.

Spiegel jumped on his feet, now is his turn to see the other man roll on the sand, getting some distance for himself. "I will never touch her?" He said with mild confusion. "Hah, that is too…" He paused, looking down at his hands and frowned. He swallowed his previous words, stopping them from coming out before it was truly too late. "And what will you do if I try? Going to kill me?" He said with a shrug and full of irony, as they are already trying to kill each other.

Hearing this person talk was driving Brendan crazy. He felt his body completely throws itself forward even without any order coming from his brain. In his own pure instincts, he feels the dire need to stop this person, to make him go as further away from his precious people as possible. He tried to reach with a swing of his left arm, but his hand flew by nothing as Spiegel ducked down from the blow. Then Brendan raised his left leg, sweeping in a cone, trying to catch him from below. Again, this attempt failed as the other man jumped over his leg and still managed to land a weak punch on Brendan's shoulder.

On the larger area of the island, Groudon roared louder as he breathed a wave of molten fire. The attack was not enough to harm Kyogre in any meaningful way but was enough to annoy the blue titan, who dove down into the sea and unleashed a wave attack of his own. The mortal enemies continued to throw jabs at each other, aiming to make as much damage as possible to their counterparts, but neither of them was able to gain an advantage over the other.

However, at each passing attack, the intensity of their powers began to grow. Waves larger than buildings began to crash against the island, almost submerging all the land. Heated beams flew all around, making the ocean boil and steam raise up the surface. One of Groudon's stray heated beams stormed the area where Brendan and Spiegel are fighting. The explosion of sand tackling Brendan to the other side of a new open trench between them, while Spiegel got pushed against the border of the island; his left arm softly burning from the heated waters.

Hissing with the new burning ache in his arm, Spiegel shifted his gaze to the two battling giants. For a moment, his eyes meet with Kyogre's yellow gaze. In a silent agreement, they nodded at each other, making note that it is time for a change.

"I really don't care about the domination over the elements. But today, the molten core shall lose." He took out the blue orb from one of his pockets and held it high above his head. "Kyogre, take back your primal form. Unleash the unrivaled powers of the deep against our enemies!" A cold, deep song echoed from inside the blue orb. A blinding light escapes from within the sphere, making whole what was once broken.

On his original primal form, Kyogre arose from the ocean with a gargantuan sphere of water enveloping his even bigger body. The once dormant lines in his blue body have awakened with his powers coming back, a new powerful light coming out from him, making the sea not only his home but now an extension of his body.

Groudon prepared another beam of light, aiming to take down his rival before he could ascend to the totality of his powers. But spots of water sprung to life at the red titan's mouth, cooling away from the heated attack, negating any form of retaliation coming from him. Those tiny spots began to appear more and larger, taking over every part of Groudon's body. In a matter of moments, he was completely encapsulated inside a giant prison made of water.

He raged, squirmed, slashed away. Groudon did everything to break himself out of his prison, but the more he moved, the more the sunk inside the massive bubble. Water suffocating the beast large lungs, pressing relentlessly against his form, crushing his body at its weight. Death was coming for him, and on the worse possible way he could imagine. Still struggling to keep himself alive, Groudon glanced down to his jailer. The only person capable of unleashing his true self. In a desperate attempt, he stopped moving and changed all his focus on the bridged of thoughts he could share with Brendan.

For this moment, just for the single second before water triumphs against fire, the world came to a stop.

" **This is our crossroads."** Groudon calmly reached inside Brendan's head. This time, not even a tingle of effect on the human's mind. **"On this moment, we fight together… or we die in the same way. Crushed by this mockery of a Pokémon."**

"Fight together?!" Brendan managed to push back the shock of being stuck in stopped time and spat back at the primal's words. "Up until now, you have only brought problem and destruction into my life. Why would I fight with you now?"

" **I once said to you, that you would either fall into darkness with me or perish before the end of it all."** Groudon said with a strangely nostalgic hum. **"Time to choose Brendan. One more second and I will die. He will kill you next, and then go after everything you love… Even her."** The primal's voice came out full of malice, he noticed the human's frail body twitch at this. Being able to see his jailer's thoughts have finally paid back its heavy price. Just a bit more and it will be done.

" _I love you."_ Her voice came in as a faint echo in his mind. His conscious traveled deep inside his memories just to get another glance of her beautiful face. Then the image of her got crushed by a piercing screech, Zinnia screamed like a madwoman as if her body was being torn apart.

" **The power to crush the world lies within your grasp."** Groudon's evil murmurs came back, not more calmly and patient. **"The power to stop your enemies, ALL OF THEM. Together, no one can stop us."**

" _ **Mommy and Daddy… I am happy like this."**_ Aster' cute little voice was the one coming out now. Just hearing how she sounds brought a little smile onto Brendan's lips. His heart stopped when the same deafening screech stormed out, Aster was silenced forever right in front of his eyes...

With that image, Brendan finally snapped.

* * *

Persona 4: Reincarnation OST - I'll Face Myself ===== ( watch?v=Y-wR6Ovc7hk )

* * *

Time started anew, the crushing weight of Groudon's prison pressed its final push against his form, but contrary to logic itself, the bubble exploded. Groudon fell on the ground; his eyes blank as if he was taken out of his body.

A second spot of oppressive light beaconed to the sky. The source of it is the orb on Brendan's hand. The omega symbol on the sphere began to glow, sparkle, and lightning bolts flying out of it. Showing no fear of the unnatural thing happening right in front of him, Brendan pressed his finger even tighter against the orb.

Brendan jerked his head backwards, a muffled scream sipping out from his gritted teeth. His left eyes brimming with light, the red color of his iris getting stronger, more intense. While on the other side, his dull-colored blue eye began to change; the faded color slowly disappeared, getting engulfed by the same tint of red from the other eye. His right eye suddenly exploded with the same glow as the left one, the blue color all but vanished. Where once stood a damp darkened blue, now shines a wild flaming red.

He pressed more and more, the orb crackling and cracking; Despite all warnings flashing in his mind to stop and go back on his actions, Brendan pressed forward. He pressed some more, the orb giving out, pure energy seeping out from its cracks; with one final push of his fingers, the entire thing collapsed.

Hoenn trembled in its whole under the raging voice of Groudon. His body burst in flames, living lava running down at his chest as he ascended to his primal form. However, differently from his other-self, Brendan didn't awaken Groudon lost power in a partial manner. Hoenn's guardian shattered the molten titan's prison within his hands. Groudon is finally alive again, in his formal, his present and his future glory.

" **I will…"** Groudon spoke in clear human speech, yet the voice coming out of him was not his own. Tranquil is apparent on the beast' eyes, while Brendan was convulsing in pure insanity taking over his mind. **"Destroy all of you. I will protect Hoenn… I WILL REIGN OVER THE WORLD."** Brendan's voice once more stormed from within Groudon's mouth, a mixture of their separated thoughts fusing together, melting in one single mess.

Brendan took off, he ran wildly like a feral Pokémon towards his stunned copy. Groudon began to run at the same pace, huge platforms of earth erupting from below, making a safe place for him to step and pursue after his target.

In perfect unnatural unison, Brendan and Groudon moved in the exact same manner. As the raging red titan jumped from his platforms and cleaved inside Kyogre's dome, slashing the blue giant down back to the sea. Brendan also jumped from his spot and punched with unhinged strength at his enemy face, planting the other man against the ground.

"YOU!" Brendan's lips moved and twitched, but no sound was coming out from him. Instead, his voice echoed from Groudon, getting louder and stronger. "Are a vermin under my boots." He snarled as his right leg swung forward, kicking without pudency at Spiegel's chest.

His mirror image gasped loudly as his ribs flared up with unbearable pain. Spiegel weakly stood back on his feet, only to get tackled down once more by another flying kick coming from Brendan.

Leaving no time for respite to his enemy, Brendan mounted on top of him. He pressed his bottom against Spiegel's abdomen, pinning the man down with the weight of his body. A rocket fast punch clashed from the side, shooting the clone's head to the side; then another one, and another and another. In a ceaseless flurry of punches, Brendan continues to maul at the other's face.

'What a monster…' Spiegel thought to himself as his body went numb. He barely had the field of vision to look at his other-self as his face continue to jerk from one side to another. 'I prepared so much… Planned down to the last bit how this would go… But I can't beat him.' A single tear popped in one of his eyes, just to the punched away by one of Brendan's knuckles. 'After being so close, inches away from my life… I can't reach up to it.' His right arm went up, not onto Brendan's direction just up in a straight line. His fingers continue to move, trying their best to go beyond and past their limits in a hopeless trial to achieve it all, but they stopped right there, unable to move forward. 'No… I will not fade again. I will not give in.' His hand clenched in a tight fist his entire body trembling in the motion. "I WILL NOT LOSE!"

Spiegel pushed his arms in front of him, stopping Brendan's onslaught. Still, the champion pushed even harder, twice as stronger than the man under him. But just as his arms were about to go through, a fierce headbutt exploded against his head, forcing him not only to stop but to get out of his opponent entirely.

Dazed by the ringing noises echoing in his head, Brendan raised his left arm and in the wake of his movement a stone pillar erupted from the ground. A round spear of rock, just as the one Groudon uses but way smaller, came from the earth tackling the unsuspected Spiegel from below, tossing his body in the air. Then from the same pillar, another one sprung forward, bashing itself against the copy's body, shooting him all the way to the sea.

Blood flew out from his mouth as his body landed on the now cool water. However, that didn't stop his newfound determination. Taking back on his hands the orb that had fallen on the ocean, Spiegel clenched his hold on to it. He pressed the sphere with all his strength, just as Brendan did before with his. As the fragile surface of the item began to give in, the young man felt his consciousness sip in, dragged inside the ball. He felt a second heartbeat, another voice, another soul being infused inside his body. His head jerked backwards in the same manner as his other-self did before, the red of his eyes vanishing away as a new shining blue took its place.

He felt as the orb began to shatter to pieces, he felt an exhilarant rush running all over his being. The glass finally broke to pieces, Kyogre's prison unleashing the primal's full power back onto his body and with it, Spiegel's mind went along. Trainer and Pokémon synced up in a true bond, an unbreakable bond; something so strong that is as if they shared two bodies with each other.

"I see now…" Spiegel cracked up a smile on his bloodied lips. His pair of glowing blue eyes glanced back to dry land, he noticed Brendan punching, slashing and biting the air even though he is entirely alone. But at each of his movements, Groudon did the same, in his case he was punching, slashing and biting against the hard skin of Kyogre's body. "So, this is the power Kyogre spoke about. The power of the dragon… the will of domination." Feeling up not only the size and power of the blue titan's body, Spiegel felt the sea, in all of its extension. By swinging his arms forward, he commanded Kyogre's body to react which in turn forced the ocean to respond.

A massive wave of water raised itself from below, the unstoppable tide clashing against Groudon, pushing the molten primal as miles away from his rival.

With another dance of his arms, Spiegel made a smaller wave carry his body back to the island. Doing the impossible, he took support on the surface of his wave and jumped right back at Brendan. Both trainers met each other with a trade of punches, each one reaching the opposition's face.

Groudon roared louder than ever before. Even in this strange dormant state, the beast craved to pierce the flesh of his enemy, any blow he receives back only serving to deepen his rage. The red titan smacked his claws against the water, commanding the earth itself to take his plea, an eruption of enormous rock spiked came to his calling. This devastating attack sprung forward, forming a path of pure destruction, leveling the sea as it went forward.

Kyogre's dome of water exploded, letting the blue primal fall onto the waters below. Screaming wildly in his reaction, he twisted his domain in something that can only be described as a cataclysmic weapon. The sea around Sootopolis dried, the sea life got stranded as every little bit of water got dragged into a violent spiral that moved towards its master.

Earth raged forward; water flooded without relent. Disaster met disaster in this collision of powers. A number of rocks and earth large enough to build another Mt. Pyre exploded at the clash of attacks, its pieces flying everywhere, anywhere. The liquid proportion of half of Hoenn's water level splattered in a wild manner. A sudden, fast and violent rain washed over the land, just as the sea got sucked out of all its water, it all filled up back in no time.

While the two primals raged a god-like war against each other, their guardians are too locked in a fierce battle of their own. Brendan shot his fist forward like a loose arrow, his knuckle exploding on his equal's chin. Spiegel spun around, swinging the back of his hand against his other-self nose. Holding no regards to their safety, much less to the safety of their opposing force, the two of them continue to throw themselves at each other in a brutal exchange; as Spiegel had proposed before, they are truly breaking each other apart.

Immersed in nothing else but their heated battle, the two young trainers failed to noticed a third-party encroaching in, watching the devastation roll out with greedy expectation. That is until said third party decided to flash an entire roll of spotlights down onto the fighting duo. They traded blows one more time, pushing each other away just enough to tear their attention away to the floating machine.

Brendan clicked his tongue, Spiegel scowled angrily. In a non-spoken agreement, they raised their hands together and both yelled.

"DO NOT INTERFERE!"

Groudon and Kyogre roared wildly as their bodies turned away involuntary. From Groudon a spiraling massive spear of rock flew up, Kyogre opened his mouth unleashing a wide and spread ray of frost. Melding together in a strange mass of power, earth and ice sprung upwards and exploded against the heaviest side of the immense Rainbow Rocket spacecraft. Caught with their pants in their hands, they had little time to stir away as fast as they could to avoid being completely blown away, the huge carrier began a slow forced landing as half of its engines stopped working.

With the pesky rabble taken cared off, all four turned their attentions back to their primary targets. However, the actions taken against Rainbow Rocket didn't go without consequences. The continuous misuse of the elements has begun to affect not only their destructed surroundings but the world itself. Groudon has raged and called out to the core of the earth so much that Mt. Chimney exploded in an eruption of lava, the glowing red/orange blood of the planet began to run down the isolated mountain down to the innocent forest below. Kyogre's unending bending of the ocean has darkened the sky with heavy clouds, clouds so charged and darkened that when the rain began to fall down it came in the form of frozen water, some as large as a Poké-Ball.

The primals' battle has started to take its toll on Hoenn. Earth and Water clashing again and again at each other, sweeping away anything across their path. The surface and the deep have cast their lot without repent, without remorse. Ocean and Land have raised up once more, defying the overreaching rule of the skies… But now, the sky has cast its gaze upon them.

"I will…" Brendan said with a rugged breath, his body almost giving in to the pressure and wounds spread out around it.

"I will…" Spiegel also started, one of his eyes closed and swollen. Blood dripping from his mouth and from his hands.

Both trainers pulled their arms back, taking control once more of their legendary beasts. Concentrating power beyond mortal control, they reached out to the world around them; one railing up the ocean, the other shaking up the earth. This will be their last shot.

"I WILL NOT LOSE!" They shouted together, same voice, same intensity. Jolting their arms forward they unleashed everything.

" **STOP!"** The sky broke apart, lightning traveled onwards from the giant dark beyond. **"YOU WILL CEASE THIS MADNESS."**

" **USURPER..."** They said at the same time. Kyogre and Groudon broke loose from their guardians' control, regaining reign over their bodies. The two beasts glared at the sky, both trembling with anger, both trembling with fear.

The sky flashed bright once more, but this time it was not thunder or lightning. The sky flashed bright with a never leaving light. From above the king has come. From the sky the dragon has arrived. Angered beyond belief, disgusted as never before; Rayquaza is here.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	26. I Need You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

In sheer magnitude, the emerald dragon king is three times as big as either Groudon or Kyogre in their awakened form. However, in power… there is a reason why the skies rule over both land and ocean.

Green metallic scales lighten darkened clouds in all extension above the dormant isles. Rayquaza's immense body drifts peacefully yet exhaling dominance overall. **"Once, thousands years past, I watched as mountains crumbled and the sea boiled within freezing waters. Once, I halted your needless squabbles…"** Shining yellow eyes, surrounded by deep shadows, emerged from behind the storming chaos in the sky. Its piercing gaze ever so focused, ever so frightening. **"NOW YOU DARE TO START ANEW?!"** The dragon's roar echoed in the sky, exploding upon Hoenn like a furious thunderclap.

His words resonated between the other two beasts. Kyogre flinched at the roar, Groudon groaned with impatience. Thousand years past, the dragon has conquered them. Thousand years past, they had been confined into a prison. Which with their own nightmarish cage. In a picture-perfect reenactment of the past, primals exchanged glances. They know where they stand, how impossible is the task to face their tormentor alone, but together…

Groudon was the one to move, smashing his giant foot against the floor under him; smoldering stone flying to the sides. **"You boast about your merits of a hollow victory, usurper."** The red beast taunted. **"Assaulting me after five moon cycles of battles against my nemesis, a coward's way. But not again, not this time."** He opened his mouth as wide as he could, a molten furnace flaring up at the back of his throat.

" **For only this once, I shall concur with the fiend."** Kyogre swan next to the border, reaching closer to his hated rival. He too prepared his entire being to unleash any hell he could against that foe. **"You, who cheated a victory, is worthless of any gift… imagine having control over nature."**

Rayquaza stood impassive, his gaze just watching the two. **"Utter ignorance merits the greatest of punishments. Alas, your cages now remain in shambles. Your once 'glorious' forms returned to you."** With a flicker of his head, the dragon king cleared the sky of any clouds or pollution from the previous battle. His entire form showing, like a never-ending slithering form towering over everything under his domain. **"Cometh forward those who wish to challenge me. I shall squash you as the paltry rubbish that you are."**

The usurper's affronting words served trigger to it all. Groudon would pop a vein if he could, instead, the red primal forked his entire upper body forward, unleashing a beam of pure fire. His molten attack, however, grazed the nothingness at the sky for before he could even warm the air around Rayquaza, the dragon had descended from the sky faster than a meteor.

Kyogre lowered his aim, targeting the incoming monstrosity flying at them. Taking extra power for Groudon's presence, the blue primal unleashed a burning steaming geyser at his front. Water hotter than Groudon's fire traveled faster than Latios ever could. In his valiant effort, Kyogre managed to graze the dragon's tail with the steam right before Rayquaza flung his body to the side.

At this point, no one can say that they didn't try. Kyogre even swallowed his pride in taking a bit his nemesis' power to strike down a greater foe. But they failed. An emerald blue flashed across the sea, faster than the wind, faster than sound itself.

" **Yet again. You shall bow before me or brake like a sturdy twig against the storm's winds."** Rayquaza's words were not a threat nor were they a request. As his eyes landed on the raging titans before him, the dragon opened his mouth and from within the fury of the sky was unleashed. As if a storm had been broken loose on top of that small piece of land, a massive shock wave exploded. It first exploded itself against Kyogre who was the farthest away from safety, he had no chance to even protect himself; his consciousness disappeared as his body cried loudly in pain. Trashed like common rabble, the lord of the deep simply disappeared in a flash of light, being pulled back to his cerulean Poké-Ball.

Standing mere paces away from his rival, Groudon was stormed second. Still, in his never-dying rage, the molten creature resisted the excruciating pain tearing him from inside. He took a long, painful step forward, his bleeding eyes glaring murder at his tormentor; he tried to raise his hands, to unleash hell once more. Still, he also gave him in the end, disappearing back to his black Poké-Ball.

Not only were the giants blasted away by the attack. Any other lingering Pokémon, from the previous heated battles who managed to stay safe within the sandy grounds, suffered from the insane assault coming from the winged deity. As the dust settled, as the flash of lights from Pokémon being called back, only Brendan and Spiegel remained standing at the aftermath. The two now being under the watchful gaze of the dragon.

He who was fully poised to leash out foolish humans for their transgression stopped in awe. Rayquaza didn't say a word, he only hovered just above the little island, staring at the two identical men.

With the high flow of adrenaline fading from his body, Brendan sighed heavily, feeling his legs going soft. His butt crashed down at the sand as his hands moved past his back, holding his upper body up by taking support on the ground. He eyed the legendary deity staring at him, a lot of words popping in his head so he could berate the dragon, but none of it passed through the lock in his throat.

However at Brendan's side… "Have you come to kill me? ARE YOU HERE TO END MY LIFE AGAIN?!" Spiegel roared at the sky, his eyes never leaving the sight of the dragon. Contrary to Brendan, Spiegel is furious, trembling furiously. Instead of falling down in the fallout of Rayquaza's wrath, the young man exploded from inside with rage. "I'm not afraid of you, Rayquaza! Come, beast. I will face you on my own."

Surprisingly enough, Rayquaza didn't explode Spiegel to bits after his outrage. Other than giving in to the ramblings taunts of the tiny human, the dragon just floated in closer, a lot closer. Rayquaza practically pressed the tip of his face against Spiegel, always staring unfazed at him.

The mockery of this action pushed Spiegel to the edge of his self-control. In another fit of anger, his left arm swung forward pushing his clenched fist against Rayquaza's face. A muffled echo sounded from the hit, Rayquaza, of course, felt nothing more than a tickle at his cheek, while some skin of Spiegel's knuckles ripped out, more blood dripping down from his already bloodied hand. "I. Am not. Scared of you." He repeated, pressing his hurt fist even more against the diamond-hard scale of the dragon.

" **It seems so."** Rayquaza replied with an amused tone. Before the young man could unleash any more insults or heated words at the deity, which would greatly endanger his life, a powerful physic pulse blasted from within the dragon's shining yellow lines.

As if his power switch had been turned off, Spiegel shut down. His glowing blue eyes lost their luster and his lips sealed tight, with a loud thud his body fell on the sand; back against the ground and his chest, slowly rising and falling, facing at the sky.

Quietly watching the scene unfolds, Brendan slightly jumped in his spot when he saw his other-self fall like a lifeless object. He then sighed, drifting his eyes away from the unconscious body onto the white clouds, tinged with a subtle tone of dark orange as the dim sunlight is rising from the horizon. Just now, Brenda noticed that even after Rayquaza has descended, the sky remained brighter than before.

"For how long… were we fighting?" He asked with a low voice, still glancing back to Rayquaza.

" **For long enough."** The dragon replied with a deep, unapprovingly voice.

"He… said that you two met before. That you killed him?!" With his blood cooling down, his body starting to feel the tool of their heated dance. He traced two fingers down his right cheek, hissing, and wincing at the touch. "You know him? Who is him?"

" **For someone so smart, you're often too clueless. Do tell me, Brendan, when we ascended to beyond my realm, past the sky… What did we stop?"** Finally tearing his gaze away from the unconscious man, Rayquaza moved over next to his chosen guardian. **"Do tell me Brendan, who did we face on that day?"**

With that, Brendan frowned, his gaze shooting back to his look alike. A grim air mood settled in him, as his mind processes what has just been thrown at him. "Deoxys?" He said, repulsed beyond belief as he said that name. "But how?! That's… That's impossible. Deoxys is a Pokémon, no, he is a being from outer space. How the hell can that be him?" He pointed very intensely at Spiegel's lying form, Brendan's red eyes shaking wildly.

" **That, I do not know. For his conception is not for me to know. Nevertheless, he is Deoxys no more. That man is just as much Brendan as you are…"** Slowly, unsure, Rayquaza returned his gaze to Spiegel, the great dragon turning his head just slightly. **"He is now my guardian as much as you are."**

"THE HELL WITH THAT!" Brendan lost his cool. He jolted up, flipping his hands in the air. "He is not me, he will never be. But you can shove that guardian role as far up as you want in his-"

" **LOWER YOUR VOICE!** " The Dragon roared in a tempest, blowing sand and water everywhere. **"Know your place, human. I am not your pet, I am your sovereign."**

"You're my fucking nightmare, that's what you are." Brendan spat back, eyes flaring up in anger just as Spiegel did before getting knocked down. "You just tossed Groudon onto my lap. ORDERED me to watch over him, and just vanished to whatever hole you plunged yourself in. No advice, no guide, no fucking nothing." Pacing hastily, the young champion marched up towards the dragon, stopping right in front of him, pointing an accusing finger at the deity. "That monster nearly shredded my mind apart! Every day mining my sanity, threatening to destroy everything I love… You call me your guardian, but the only lessons I ever got in this stupid guardian thing came from Ethan, not from you."

To say that Rayquaza as baffled is an understatement. He purposely raised his voice up high and released some of his power to quell the rebellious actions of the trainer, yet it only served to fire him up even more. Somewhere deep inside, Rayquaza felt a little proud of his chosen human, for weakness is the trait he despises the most.

" **Ethan?"** Rayquaza repeated the name, sounding ever so confused. He then raised his upper body high, staring far away to some point distant in Hoenn. **"Certainly I can feel another presence here, the golden spark of that phoenix."** He then jerked his head back, eyeing ever so distressed to the young person below him. **"You sought help with the fearless buffoon? The one with my will, seeking approval of someone lesser… such humiliation…"**

"Say whatever you want, at least the 'buffoon' helped me with something." Spitting out the anger piled up inside of him, Brendan felt deflated and exhausted; He dropped down again, his butt crashing against the sand, the upper part of his face hidden behind the shadow of his large bangs. "Everything is such a mess right now. Rayquaza, what should I do?"

" **Your duty."** Brendan was not expecting much from the elusive dragon, still his straight detached response rubbed wrong on him. Rayquaza, ever so observant, noticed the pained growl escaping his protégé. **"Hoenn is bleeding and that is your fault. As a guardian, you are not only the holder of my will but also an extension of myself upon these lands. Therefore, the present states of affairs are only and exclusively your fault."** For someone thousands of years old, wise and powerful, Rayquaza apparently sucks at comforting anyone. His good-minded speech served only to make Brendan growl even louder, dropping his back on the ground. Nevertheless, the dragon continued. **"Ahem… What you need to perceive is that if you are at fault, you are also the one capable of fixing matters. Brendan I did not give you the undying flames of courage nor the sight to peer inside one's mind. In you lies the strength to impact hearts, the will to change it all."**

"If you have the power to change everything… Can't you, you know, fix all this mess?" Brendan eyed the dragon with fleeting hope, deep in his heart, he knows the answer yet his eyes shine with the wish that it all can end this easily.

" **What is the point of having a guardian, if I do his job for him?"** Rayquaza replied in his stern way, but with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"Ohh, I'm shocked. Helpful as always." Brendan scoffed, grasping his head with both hands.

" **We cannot wield our powers against humanity at each mistake they make. That is not how it is supposed to be, hence our need to choose our guardians. Hence the need for you to fulfill your role."**

"Fulfill my role… be a guardian… Rayquaza, how I'm supposed to do that when I don't know what a guardian is supposed to be, what guardian is supposed to do."

" **That is… another trial in your path. Only you can guide your feet in the journey to find your true self."**

Brendan wants to dig down a hole and stuff his head in the sand with so much frustration echoing inside of him. "Can't you answer anything without saying it in a riddle or something?" A devilish smirk curving the sides of his lips, Brendan raised his head to glance at the dragon. "I guess… I will just have to ask Ethan about it."

That impish grin paired together with those words caused the dragon's eyes to twitch. **"Your provocation is unneeded and not appreciated. The boy with golden eyes will not guide you down that path. If he taught you anything about your role, he must have told you that he cannot give you the answers that you seek."**

Frowning for a moment under the rising sunlight, Brendan echoed the disappointing answer Ethan gave him when asked about this. _'I can show you the ropes of the job. However, I cannot, I repeat, I cannot teach you what exactly you need to be. It's kinda the obligation of your deity to teach you that.'_ Remembering that Brendan clenched his eyes as he stared at Rayquaza.

" **Compose yourself, child."** Rayquaza loomed closer, quietly he rested over the sand. His gigantic body slithering in a tight round roll. Poising his head high, calmly facing the young man, the dragon spoke out. **"We have much to talk and time is of the essence."**

* * *

Heavy chains dangled in the air, their metal base nailed at the ceiling making a weak sound. A weak whimper faintly sounds around with the eerie sound of blood dripping on the cold floor.

"Lugia, where is it?" A large muscled arm swung wildly, a rock-hard fist exploded on the thin side of someone's abdomen. "Spill it out!" Raz roared madly as his fist flew right back at his victim body again.

Ethan groaned quietly in pain. Having his arms chained up against the ceiling, he felt his world swing around at each hit. "U-Up… in your… buttocks…" Even with pain almost driving him crazy, the raven-haired champion mustered enough of his will to give his captor a weak defiant smirk.

As much joy he took in despising the giant mass of muscles that is the other man, his answer caused him another wave of pain as Raz punched him right across the face. The hit not well aimed, luckily enough for Ethan, as even being a graze, that punch managed to open some of the wounds that were just closed on his left cheek.

In reality, Ethan's state went from bad to worse; his body suffered multiple injuries from a surprise attack he received from a Tyranitar, then he found himself subject of the torture from two different members of Rainbow Rocket. First, Leyla with her needles in her inquisitive questioning, and then when that didn't work well enough to brake him, Raz came in with his boulder knuckles, punching away without remorse at each question he made. In truth, the brute more punched than asked for anything.

Taking him as a prisoner, the criminal gang had the 'decency' to patch him up in most of his injuries, most particularly on the nasty big cut he got in his face. However, thanks to Raz and his method, some of those wounds ripped themselves open again.

Gritting his teeth in anger for something that not even himself knows. Raz prepared his left arm, raising it far back, just to explode it against Ethan's chest again.

"STOP THIS! You are going to kill him." An older man shouted from his corner. This person, a second prisoner on this improvised cell, is watching in horror without being able to help as his arms are tied with the same kind of heavy chains that are restraining Ethan up in place.

"Shut up, old man. If he dislikes being beaten to a pulp so much, he just needs to open his beak." Raz turned his head in a frenzy, throwing a enrage look at the chained person glaring at him. As if making a show for him, Raz raised his arm right in view of him, grinning all the way.

"Raz, stop." Josh's impassive voice sounded from the side. The red-eyed man has been watching everything from his spot, casually sat on a metallic chair next to the wall.

"I will make him give in. He can't have much left on him." The burly man spat back, drifting his gaze to his aloof comrade.

"Or he will die and not tell anything." Josh stood up. His façade changing into a warning scowl. "What was the point of taking him back here if you're just going to punch him to death?"

Raz growled, then growled again now louder. He looked at Ethan, the gauze and white bandages pressed against his cheek, now turning to a tone of red; then he looked back to Josh, a shiver running down his spine as those peculiar red eyes stared at him as if they were looking directly at his soul.

"FINE! You'll be the one going to talk with the boss about this. I'm done with this crap." Fuming in anger, Raz stormed out from the small room.

"You have to pardon my friend. He is very simple-minded." Cooing with a friendly voice, Josh slowly marched his way next to Ethan. Without much care in his action, he broke open the chains around his arms, letting the wounded trainer fall harshly on the floor.

"I always declared that Giovanni was the worst of all those criminal masterminds. But this?! Torture?" The older man roared in scorn if a glare could kill the one he is giving Josh would do the job twice fold. "You people are not even humans anymore."

"Oh please, Mister Looker. Life is not a fairy tale, bark all that you want it will change nothing." His red eyes glanced for a moment to the old police officer lying on the ground, then disregarded his presence altogether. "Ethan, Ethan… You really inspire my curiosity." He kneeled down next to Ethan, curiously enough, he gently helped the other trainer sit up, resting his back against the wall. "I have to say, I couldn't handle that. Sure, Raz nonsensical ramblings and assault is a boring chore to be a part of; but Leyla is quite skillful with those needles of her. How do you do it?"

Breathing slowly in a haggish way, Ethan slightly tilted his head to the side, taking his eyes at the man's features. He opened his lips to say something, but only a low whistle of a voice came out.

"Sorry, what did you say? I couldn't hear you." Grasping his blood-dirtied cheeks with one hand, Josh leaned in closer, basically pressing his left ear against Ethan's face.

"Piss… off…" He managed to spit the words out, groaning loudly in pain right after.

In the first moment, Josh looked dumbstruck. His eyes looking at nothing and his mouth hanging open. Then he pulled himself up, his back bending in a funny way. "Hahahah, amazing to no end. Most people would be pissing in their pants with fear in this situation, but not you… NOT YOU." Having his fill of whatever he wanted from Ethan, he completely stood up and turned to leave. "I expected nothing less from the man who defeated my father." Letting out a loud chuckle, Josh walked out, slamming the heavy door behind him.

"Hey, kid. Are you alive?" Looker pulled his chains in a desperate attempt to free himself, but only managed to burn a red mark on his wrists. "Dammit, Team Rocket… Giovanni, what are you planning?"

Responding to Looker's pleas, Ethan slowly raised his right arm. He clenched his hand and raised his thumb. In his bruised face, he wore a silly little grin, a pained one. As his voice is betraying him right now, he replied in the one manner he could.

Somewhat baffled by the unusual sight, Looker smiled back. "Don't worry kid. Somehow, we will get out of here..." He glanced down to the watch on his right wrist, frowning at the frozen pointers. "We will escape this place."

* * *

Spiegel growled in the hush of his low breathing. His eyes are foggy and his head is heavy, almost forcing his chin to rest against his chest. He can feel his knees bent in front of him, in a way his legs serving as a support to his body. It's tiresome, to breath and to think is tiresome. A little itching appeared on the base of his neck just above his collarbone. And by everything that is sacred that itching is getting more annoying by the second.

Clicking his tongue to show his annoyance, Spiegel moved his arms to scratch the feeling away, but his hands didn't move, they couldn't move. He tried to tug his arms forward again but to no avail, they are stuck behind his back, tied with a firm rope.

"The hell is this…?" He complained in a low voice, moving his head a little to the side, trying to peek behind him. He couldn't do that too, the way he is tied right next to a wall is making impossible for him to do anything other than just sit there and feel nauseated.

"Took you sweet time with that nap, huh?" A familiar mirroring voice sounded in, Spiegel's eyes finally settling down at the darkness around him. With a somewhat discernible vision, he noticed Brendan sitting in front of him, while a few paces away with his legs crossed. The same position he always uses when he wants to meditate as his father taught him.

Seeing his nemesis right there, Spiegel could only hiss at him. But seeing the hopeless situation he finds himself in, he decided to rest his back properly against the wall and take a glance around him. "Where are we?" He asked after not being able to recognize anything within that poor lighted room.

"Hiding… in my secret base." Brendan replied with a stern voice. He clenched his eyes as he darted his vision towards the other man.

"Route 111? Hah, takes me back a couple of years." Now knowing exactly where he was, Spiegel's eyes scanned the room with a newfound familiarity with the place. Even with the lights out, he can now see ever little nostalgic detail that surrounds him even those parches of grass on the ground. "I really loved this place when I was a kid."

"You never had an infancy, Deoxys." Brendan spat out without much thought.

"Don't… EVER call me that again." Spiegel thrashed wildly in his spot, almost breaking his arms as he tried to swing him at Brendan. "That is not my name."

"Then, what should we call you?"

Spiegel's heart almost stopped beating. He jolted his head to the side in a violent turn, and then, he saw her. Sitting on the stupid kid's chair he got as a child, Zinnia is looking at him, looking at them both. Oh how beautiful she looks, wearing the same clothes, her hair messy as always, everything about her is casual e ordinary as ever, still she is radiating and breathtaking anyway.

"Why… is she here?" He asked Brendan, feeling a strange tingle in his eyes. Just looking at her pretty, uneasy, eyes was enough to mellow any anger Spiegel had boiling inside his chest.

"I asked Zinnia to help me carry you away from that place." Brendan said right back, sparing a glance at his girlfriend that glanced right back at him. Even though she smiled, the way she is holding her hands together is telling how nervous she is. "And she deserves to know everything about this. Now, if you don't want me calling you Deoxys-" Spiegel frowned again at the mention of that name, somehow seeing his other-self reacting like this made Brendan himself frown. "What should we call you? Because I will not be calling you by my name."

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"Just answer the damn question!" Brendan raised his voice, making Zinnia jump at his sudden outburst. Spiegel on the other hand, just stared at him, studying him with curious eyes.

He pondered the possibilities, weighed the consequences inside his head. In the end, he just sighed and said. "Spiegel… I've chosen the name Spiegel."

"Spiegel… Mirror?" At first, Brendan scoffed and rubbed his forehead, and then he chuckled lightly. "Leave for me to think of something so cheesy."

"Better than Brendan number two, don't you think?" Spiegel chuckled right back at Brendan, the tense mood between them dimming for a bit, yet ever so slightly.

Pacing calmly towards the other man, Brendan kneeled in front of him, resting his arms on top of his knees. "So, Spiegel, here is the deal. Rayquaza passed something to me… something that you also need to know."

"And why didn't the dragon kill me?"

"Shut up, jeez." Brendan sighed heavily. "Look, we did something… bad. Really bad. Kyogre and Groudon, they cannot be allowed to roam free. However, we destroyed the only thing that was holding their powers back." Just remembering what Rayquaza told him gave Brendan a migraine. "The fact still remains, they need to be controlled. To make this short, I will give you the ugly truth straight out." With a sorry smile, Brendan pushed his arm forward, tapping Spiegel on the chest and then tapping himself on the chest. "We, you and me, are their prison now. In a way, we now function just like the orbs did."

Spiegel felt his shoulders drop, his eyes lowering in a thoughtful manner. "Rayquaza?"

"Yeah… He was the one." Brendan shrugged. "Apparently we synced with the primals, not in a healthy manner."

"Power always comes with a prize as people say... I guess mine is that." He lowered his arms even more, the friction of the wall and his back pulling the shirt away from his shoulder, showing his pale skin. "Even though, I failed in the end."

"We both did. I stand here breathing, Rainbow Rocket still out there… We both gambled with fate and with both lost." Brendan sounded extremely frustrated in that last bit; he took his gaze upwards, facing the ceiling above them. "All that is left is to deal with it and move forward." Saying that he darted his red eyes back to Spiegel, watching carefully the reaction coming next. "To do that, I need to know… Why? Why you want so badly to kill me?"

As much as Brendan tried to gauge the intentions of his mirrored-self, he couldn't. With Spiegel starting at the ground, eyes hidden by his long hair, body frozen without any trace of movement coming from it. This man still as much as a puzzle as he was before waking up.

That, until his body began to shiver, his fingers, locked together, gritting against the dirty on the ground behind his back. "Imagine…" He started. "One day you woke up to the cruel reality that you are not really you…" His voice came out more shaken, rugged. His shoulders trembling more and more at each long breath he takes. "Your life is not really yours, nothing is truly yours." A sob, resembling one of a hurt child, slipped from him. As he threw his head upwards, crystalline tears jumped from his eyes, dropping next to his feet. "Your family, your friends… your lover." Spiegel glanced at Zinnia, who averted her eyes away from him. She bit her lips ashamed of doing that, but she couldn't return the gaze he is giving her. "I wanted it all back. To take everything always from you, because… They're mine too."

"No. They are not." Brendan replied coldly without any reprise in his tone.

"See… that's why." Spiegel said back with a little grin curving the side of his lips. "I told you before, Brendan. I feel the same as you do, even now we are the same. And before you argue to differ, this is not only echoes of memories we share." He rested the back of his head against the wall, tears still sliding down his pale skin. "Holding the little body of our sister… I felt so warm, so fluffy inside my chest. That was my emotion, my own love for her."

Brendan fixed his eyes at Spiegel's own blue shining orbs. He waited, but the other man said nothing more, so he scoffed and shook his head. "Only one problem there, friend. I don't have a sister."

Spiegel grinned, now wider and somewhat triumphantly. "You haven't spoken with Mom or Dad, have you?" That look in his face took Brendan by surprise, taking the champion down a few notches. "Go home, Brendan. Fly to Littleroot. You're losing way more than I am by secluding yourself in that stupid mountain you call home."

A thousand thoughts run at full speed inside Brendan's head. He wanted to shout, to yell how much of a liar this person is. How wrong he is and always will be. But another side of him was pulling him back, pulling him away from Spiegel, away from his secret cave, towards his old town. Brendan almost tore himself in two so he could yell at Spiegel and run home at the same time, feeling angry and confused he decided to agree with the side of his that screamed louder. He stomped his feet at the ground and marched to the door.

"Brendan." Zinnia called out to him.

"I need to check it… We need to go there." He replied with a frantic response, his chest pumping wildly as to how fast his heart is beating.

In any other situation, Zinnia would have jumped on her feet and trailed right after her boyfriend. But now, here… She just pressed her hands against her tights, looking down at her feet. "I want to talk to him… Please, Brendan." She begged with puppy eyes, a look that always manages to bend Brendan's will in two sides.

"I… understand. Just wait for me in Ever Grande, I will return there, after confirming what he said." Brendan didn't like the idea of leaving Zinnia alone with him of all people, but his trust in her is infallible. If she asked for this, she has her own reasons and he has no time to argue on that. So instead, he just agreed, reluctant, but agreed. Giving her a quick kiss on her forehead, Breandan darted right after the door.

Zinnia watched as he left the secret base. He stormed out of the place ready to fly on his own if he could, but strangely, he stopped right outside, staring at his left. He stood there for a few good seconds, and then glanced back at her. With one last smile, he waved at her and closed the door.

Swallowing hard, she drifted her ruby eyes all across the room. He is looking at her, silently, just watching her with a few tears still running down. "You are… the same Brendan from that night, right?" She asked him with a hesitant voice.

Spiegel chuckled at her shy behavior. "How many Brendan's do you know?" He noticed how she flinched at his comment, which made him feel bad for teasing her under these circumstances. "Sorry… Yeah, that was me. That was the same day I came to exist."

"Oh? You came to… exist?" The confused look she gave him made Spiegel smile.

"I guess this is complicated to explain. Just forget about it for now."

"Okay… then answer me this. Why didn't you told Brendan about… that night?" She eyed him with cautious eyes, retaining their distance. "Even after today and everything you to did, you never told him about what we did."

"When I realized that he had no idea… I felt in a bliss." Spiegel confessed. "I had the perfect weapon; I could smash his heart right then and there. But I couldn't." He took his eyes away from her. "When I realized what that meant, the words died before I could say anything."

His answer eased a few of her worries. Lifted some of the burdens on her shoulders, at least enough of it to allow her to get on her feet and walk right next to him.

"It's true, you know. All that I said to him. I feel the same as he does, which means I know who much it hurts when someone that you love betrays you." Spiegel said looking directly at her eyes. "I couldn't do that to him… I couldn't do that to you. Zinnia, I love you."

"That day, I thought you were Brendan. You had the same eyes he has… the ones he had when he was younger, unscarred by life." She gave him a sad look, biting her lips as he was about to say what she wanted. "I only did what I did… we only shared that night, because… I love Brendan." Her words cut deeper than any blade, digging in on his chest, carving at his heart.

Spiegel watched in horror as the woman he loves turned on her heels and walked away. "These are not his feelings… I love you, Zinnia. I truly do. I LOVE YOU." He cried out, desperately trashing himself against the wall, doing anything to brake himself away from those binds.

She stopped and glanced back at him with the corner of her eye. "Sorry… But I don't know who you are." Her voice cracked as she replied, her head turn away from him just as tears flooded her shining orbs. With her shoulders trembling, her sobbing quietly, Zinnia opened the door and walked away.

"Zinnia… ZINNIIAA!" His chest flared up as his voice clawed up from his chest. He forced himself up, pushing his back against the wall, Spiegel got up in his feet. He tried to walk forward, tried to run after her. However, at the second step he took, the ropes binding his feet together toppled his legs, shooting his face against the ground.

The metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth; his upper body throbbed in pain. He did not stop. Not being able to stand up and walk, Spiegel squirmed against the ground, pulling his weight against the dirt, desperately reaching for the door. As his hopes began to fade away, the pain in his heart getting unbearable, the sound of the door opening up echoed inside this damp cave.

"Zinnia?!" He called out, hopefully. Gritting his chin against the ground, he forced his head up.

"Ah… no, sorry. She left." A tall man with a fuzzy blond hair stepped in. He looked down at Spiegel with eyes full of pity. Still, inside that melancholy, a fire burned up inside of him. "But hey, I need you. That's still a win, right?" Max raised his thumb, smiling silly at the other man.

The faint glint of hope that flourished inside of him came crashing down when he saw that she was not there anymore. Sadness sinking in, his head hanging low and chest aching. Even all through that, one sentence resonated with him. 'I need you.' Those words worked on him, pulling him out of the dark hole he was slowly falling in. In that sadness turned to anger, anger to rage. His head, which was hanging low, shot right up, his eyes fixating on the man. He opened his mouth and roared. "Who the fuck are you?"

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	27. The Calm Before

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" A distressed voice stormed aloud. "How come you can't best a lone Pokémon and his plushy toy?"

"Tsk, you think this is so easy?" A clearly perturbed Grunt shouted to the man standing behind him and his group of three. "Go on big-shot, do it yourself." The small, angry-looking, man barely had time to finish his outburst at his companion before his Weepinbell came crashing against him, victim of a **Fire Blast.**

The self-pointed commander of the group stepped backward instead of forward. He glared at the impassive Arcanine blocking their way inside the little town. "Where are the others?! Where are our flanking platoons?" His panic-widen eyes drifted to the peaceful mood still reigning over Littleroot, he wailed seeing no response coming in from there.

Dashing in between the tall grasses, a small silhouette passed right beside the obvious floating Koffing. A brown-furred tail flew from below, striking the purple ball of gas all the way to the single trees at the edge of the forest.

" **Hah! This is not even a challenge anymore."** Linoone jumped back to his friend side, grinning in a devious manner. **"At this pace, I will get more than you, old man."**

Leon, who single-handed took three pairs of Pokémon from the invaders, just chuckled and nodded, humoring his over-eager friend.

In the wake of the still going battle of the two Pokémon against Team Rocket, an echo of angry steps sounded from behind the tree lines. A larger group with seven Grunts came running in, panting and eyes bulging eyes adorning their faces.

"Finally some back-up!" The cowardly chief sounded out. "Where were you people at? We have a big crisis here."

One of the seven walked past the others, breath fast and rugged. "We… tried to get in… from behind…." He bent down, supporting his hands against his knees. "There's a crazy strong guy in there." His index finger shot up, pointing right at Littleroot. "He wiped out all the others."

" **The funny-looking guy sure did his job, huh?"** Linoone glanced up to Leon, making the older Pokémon crack a big smile.

"One person..." Just the mention of this outworldly trainer made the acting commander took some steps back, by this point he almost halfway on the path to Oldale Town. "NEVER MIND THAT!" He shouted with a strange surge of confidence. "With your arrival, we are far too numerous for one person to handle! Take care of this meddling trash in front of us and let start the rai-"

In before the startled commander words could start a swing in their mentality, a massive gush of wind stormed from above the clouds. Those poor Grunts didn't stand a chance against that surprise attack, all eleven of them got exploded far high in the sky; If luck is on their side, they will likely land at the cold waters of the sea.

From the aftermath of the elusive storm, that faded as fast as it came, the form of a gracious blue dragon landed on the grass. An imposing figure jumped from the Latios back, reaching in from a spot close to Linoone and Arcanine.

" **Heeyy, look who's here."** The little troublemaker skipped a few jumps closer to the arriving trainer. **"How's that, huh? We took care of the town just like we promised."**

Mesmerized by the fact that he can clearly understand what the little Pokémon is saying, Brendan took a few moments to just look at Linoone and put his thoughts in order. 'A guardian really can talk with them, huh…' His mind wandered to some bits of the talk he had with Rayquaza.

" **Spiegel? Are you okay there, buddy?"** Glancing upwards onto those red glowing eyes, Linoone felt different. The little fur ball of a Pokémon felt himself getting crushed ever so slightly by the ravenous glare that man throw at him. **"You are… the other guys?"** Linoone asked with a shocked expression, his words making Brendan change his own expression from an angry scowl to a curious frown. **"So, he… lost?"**

Brendan drifted his eyes to a side-glance to the massive Arcanine, still standing in front of Littleroot as an unmovable sentinel. "Who are you?"

Linoone looked broken at that question, broken by the confirmation that this person is not the same one that he knows. With a blank expression on his face, the small furred Pokémon hissed at Brendan and dashed away onwards the silent trees at side of Route 101. Seeing his little companion flee without a word in between the trees, Leon spared one long stare at Brendan and then ran right after Linoone.

"Brendan?" From the lone road coming of Littleroot, came the sole trainer who pushed back against Rainbow Rocket's other offensive. Wally passed by the tall grass in front of the entrance, taking Leon's position as the gatekeeper. His ice-blue eyes staring at his friend's figure with curious and careful intent, never showing too much but still showing a glimpse of relief.

In contrast, Brendan's faintly glowing pair of ruby eyes glued themselves onto Wally. He knows that if Wally is here, Littleroot is more than safe, but if he is here. "You protected Littleroot?" Brendan asked in a rhetorical manner.

"In some way, I did." Wally responded with a cool, detached voice. "I was stuck in Petalburg when everything happened. Luckily for everyone there, Norman was with me. With his help, we completely pushed those criminals away from the city." Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, he changed his attention away to their surroundings, eyes frantically searching for something. "In truth, with Norman there, we feared that Littleroot was left defenseless. So I came here as fast as I could, just to find a pair of Pokémon holding the punks away all by themselves. Haven't you seen a Linoone and an Arcanine around here? They really saved Littleroot."

"They left." Brendan responded, pointing to the way where those two made their escape. Feeling the rush somewhat leaving his body, Brendan took a long breath, letting his bottom fall on the grass as he sat up. "Wally…" He called out to his friend, looking at him with a strange pair of pleading eyes. "Is my mother... here?" He bit his lips, shaking his head in disapproval of his own question. "Wally, do I have a sister?"

Wally glanced at his friend, speechless. He seemed to mull over something deep in his mind, something that made him frown at Brendan's desperate eyes. "Then, it's true? There are two of you now?" He noticed how the other man faltered at his inquiry, how his nails dug down at the dirty in frustration and anger. Somewhere inside his heart, Wally felt relieved; relieved that even after the concerning threat the other Brendan made months ago, his friend is safe and sound. However, another side of him felt saddened and irate. If Brendan is right here, bruised and battered, but still alive; What happened to the other one, the Brendan who cried in front of him, the Brendan who proclaimed his deep love for his friends. "You look awful. What happened to you? Had a run up against this crazy invasion of them?" Wally asked, in a way fearing for the answer.

"Nah…" Brendan replied with a curly, sad little grin. "Had a fight against myself. Heh, or something like that. We were too busy punching each other, tearing the world apart… to sort that part out."

"You… Where is h-" Wally shook his head and closed his eyes. "Whatever it was, you need a break. Everyone needs it." He quietly stepped over to where his friend is sitting and extended one hand to him. "Come, you should rest in your old house. There is still a lot for you to take in."

Smiling with a bit more warmth in his lips, Brendan took his friend's hand, letting Wally pull him up. To his surprise, the man who when he last saw him was also punching his face, now pulled him into a friendly cozy embrace, wrapping one arm around his large back. While it felt a bit weird to be this close to Wally after so long, Brendan felt at peace. Letting his friend carry the pace of their stroll, Brendan walked inside Littleroot with the support he needs, to an encounter he fears.

After so long, after loathing himself so much because of this. It's finally time to set his feet home.

* * *

"See, that's the place." Max called out to his traveling companion, in nothing more than a louder whisper. "What you think? Doesn't sit right with me that they left the entranced unguarded."

"Whatever…" Spiegel chose to ignore the blond's furtive act. Instead, the brown-haired young man brashly stomped forward, slamming his feet against the soft sands of the desert. His blue eyes fixated on the not so concealed door at the base of the red-like mountain.

Seeing his helper charging in without much ceremony, Max jumped from his little hidden spot behind a large stone, latching his arms on Spiegel's left arm. "Oi! What's this? What are you planning with this stupid brave act?" He hissed angrily at the other man.

"You asked for my help, right? You wanted me to wreck that place, isn't that right?" Sapphire gems glared down at the blonde's startled face. "I only came here to crush something. Don't get in my way." He trashed his arm forward, tossing Max on the ground. "Or else…"

"It sucks, I know. I really do sympathize with you. But is it really worth?" Max spat back, his cool words managing to catch Spiegel's attention and heated gaze. The warning glare those blue glowing eyes are shooting at the undercover agent, made his entire body shiver. "Look, I am just saying… that lashing out at everything is not the best idea." He said, raising both of his hands in a hasten apology. "Just think about the positive parts of that whole ordeal. They trusted you enough to leave your stuff behind, right?"

A loud tired sigh escaped Spiegel's lips. "Shut up." He groaned in frustration, already regretting his decision of coming here. "Just shut up, please. Like you wanted, I will get their attention; you do what you need to do in there." Frowning in silence, Spiegel left Max behind him. He resumed his previous bold charge at the secret base, but now instead of raging and scowling, the poor soul is now brooding as he marches.

Max noticed the subtle change in his companion's behavior. From glaring and fuming, to walking slowly with his shoulders hanging low. "What a mess…" He commented to himself, watching the longhaired-trainer walking. "Two lover boys may be a bit too much, even for you, Zinnia." Pulling himself up, Max trailed behind his escort/ brute muscle, waiting the perfect moment to do his impeccable stealthy job.

* * *

Giovanni is quietly watching his subordinates running wildly from one side to the other, his restless index finger tapping at his seat's arm. Inquiring eyes drift from person to person, fishing for just one that will take the bait and be the unfortunate recipient of the veteran leader's anger.

Two oblivious Grunts dared to wander close enough to their master's platform at the aircraft's bridge. Taking notice of Giovanni's presence and heavy gaze, they froze in panic almost immediately doing a half turn.

"Report." Giovanni's voice sounded, making those two cringe at their bad luck.

"M-m-master!" A tall crimson-haired male grunt slapped the side of his boots together. "I-in what do you require a report from?"

Already in the last straw of his patience, Giovanni grabbed the edge of both of his seat's support, pulling his body forward as he leaned in, towering over them. "Do I seriously need to describe this to you?" He asked with a dangerous tone. "Give me a report on everything!"

Seeing their leader growl furiously in response at his simple question, made the male Grunt completely freeze in place; mouth wide open with his limbs shivering like a green leaf. The companion by his side, a female Grunt with dark green hair, noticed the increasing tension around Giovanni, so she swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped forward.

"M-master, the hull of the ship took extensive damage from the impact, both from that unnatural event and by our forced landing." Despite the negative news on her part, she noticed Giovanni's expression softening even if just a little. Something that pushed her to continue without fear. "While we were forced to leave the sky due to the damages, our repair team is working on the fixes as fast as they can. By their estimative, we should resume all functions by the dawn of tomorrow."

"What of Orpheus?" Giovanni pressed forward in his inquiry.

While it was barely noticeable, the edge on Giovanni's voice sent a strange chill on the poor woman's spine. She nodded slowly, choosing carefully how she should approach this question. "S-sir, I believe the magnetic hall was not affected in any way by our set back. Project Orpheus is safe and functional. You simply need to give the word and the team shall start it."

At that, Giovanni relaxed, resting his back against his seat once more. "That is not necessary, not for now. Although time is running, is still too early for that." He took his right hand to his face, running his fingers on his jawline. "Status on the two orbs?" His eyes glanced down back at the trembling duo.

"Both in place, sir!" The male Grunt shouted aloud as he woke up from his shock.

"Good… If we lost Orpheus in a stroke of bad luck…" Closing his eyes and frowning, Giovanni clenched his left fist. Just the tough of losing that what he risked so much to create, made his blood boil. "What of Dialga and Palkia?" His question was directed to either one of the two, as his tone of voice has cooled down, the pair has stopped shaking.

On that question, both Grunts exchanges a long glance at each other. The green-haired woman cleared her throat in a way to get her master's attention. "Lady Leyla is the one in charge of Palkia. Enforcer Josh requested to watch over Dialga. Our lady has already reported from her designed spot and it is waiting for orders. But… Enforcer Josh has yet to confirm his arrival at Sky Pillar." She lowered her head at the end of her last sentence, barely sparring a cautious glance at the imposing man at the top of those steps.

However, to their surprise, Giovanni is smiling. Not a shred of anger, despite being fuming just a few moments before. The seasoned leader just chuckled and waved one hand in front of him. "Worry not about his whereabouts. Even if he likes to be swept away by his whims, Josh will not fail, he can't." An evil smirk flashed on Giovanni's lips, his right carefully grazing at his chin. "He was created purely for this." Taking a moment to quietly laugh in a funny thought only himself knows, Giovanny glanced back to the busy members of his team running about the place. "Resume your work as normal. Let Hoenn struggle a bit more in this futile war."

"Yes, Master!" Both Grunt saluted their leader, and taking their chance to leave this position, they charge right back into the mess of people.

"War, huh?" Giovanni hummed happily to himself. "Can you perceive beyond the shadows that surround this region, young Brendan?" He chuckled again, imagining what the young trainer would say back. "I will be eagerly waiting for this answer; until then… just keep dancing according to my music."

* * *

A piece of wood never looked more frightening than this thin light-brown colored door. Brendan reached with his right hand to the handle, his fingers grasping firmly on the cold surface of the metal object, yet his arm didn't move past that. He eyed the small glass window right in front of him, due to turvy transparency of that small square peek hole, his eyes could barely distinguish what is the inside of the room and what is just a reflection of the sunlight.

Wally eyed his friend's hesitancy, giving him a funny look. "Go on." He said in a soothing voice. "Get back in your family's life."

Brendan gave a short glance at his childhood friend, returning his encouraging words with a wide grin. He nodded two times and finally turned the handle. A squeaky ringing noise sounded as he pushed the door open, a little odd considering how well conserved the entire house seems to be.

Feather-light steps sounded from within the main hallway, working in a strange unison with the sound of a little baby crying. "Shh… Daddy just went to visit some friends, you don't have to cry." An older woman carrying her little girl in her arms, wandering into the living room, her eyes completely focused on her teary-eyed daughter. She embraced the cute little baby, pressing their cheeks together; something that managed to make July stop crying and giggle, even if for just a moment.

"Mom…" Brendan called out to the older woman, his wary voice startling her by the point she jumped and turn to face him.

His mother looked at him, a sweet smile breaking her lips apart. "Brendan." The way she said his name carried a motherly love, a special kind of love that Brendan hadn't witnessed for years. "Brendan!" Then her gentle features completely faded away, a worried look painting her face in a purple tone. "By everything that is sacred, look at you. All bruised up, hurt and dirty! What happened?"

Regardless of the sudden rant exploding from his mother, Brendan gave the woman a genuine smile. "Mom, I'm fine." He dusted some of the sand still glued to his clothes, ran two fingers on a thick line of blood marking his chin. "See, mostly unharmed." His smile changed to a goofy grin.

"Mostly… unharmed…" She repeated his words slowly, very slowly, finding none of the humor her son was displaying. "THIS IS NOT FUNNY! Now listen here, young man. You can go around pretending to be a tough adult to anyone you want. But that will not work with me, you hear me?"

"Sorry, mom…" Brendan replied lowering his head.

"You better be. Because you will always be my little boy and I will always worry about you." Now smiling as only a mother can, she paced forward, using her free arm to pull her son in a strange postured embrace. "I worry even more when you show up all bloody like this." She said in a warm whisper.

In a way, Brendan felt glad that he showed up here in the condition he is. He loved how his mother clings on to him as if he was going to vanish at any moment. "Really, sorry for scaring you, mom." He said quietly; his mother nodding quietly her cheek tickling his neck as she moves.

"Now, you better go to your old room and change. No, even better, take a good and hot shower." She ran her hand across his arm, finally feeling how tall her little boy has grown up. "I think your father's clothes will fit perfectly on you, they may be a little tight, but is better than those ruined clothes you're using now."

Quirking an eyebrow up, Brendan pulled himself back to look at his mother's eyes. He tried to open his mouth and protest, but.

"Brendan, that's an order!" She waved one finger in front of him, July giggling at her action; somehow, the baby girl found her reprimand look the funniest sight in the world.

Hearing her fluffy tiny voice, finally dawned on Brendan that his mother is holding a baby. His eyes immediately shifted down at her, his glowing red eyes staring directly at her big bubbly grey eyes. July gave him a little smile, raising one arm up, her hand trying to reach his shirt as her tiny fingers twitched in the air.

"Hey, you!" A soft pair of finger flickered against Brendan's forehead, making him hiss in a little annoyance. "Shower, now. Shoosh, off you go." His mother pulled him by his arm and turned him around in the direction of the long hall.

"Brendan." Wally who had remained in silence save for a few chuckles during the whole exchange now called out to his friend. "I see you around, okay?"

"Going already?" Brendan asked in return.

"I need to go back to Petalburg, you know… That place is kinda my responsibility." Wally shrugged, giving off a little grin. "Littleroot is not in danger anymore and even if those people were to return. Well, you're here now. They couldn't ask for a better protector."

The young champion just nodded, showing a gratitude smile back to his friend.

"Sure you can't stay for lunch, Wally dear?" The mature woman asked in her motherly way, smiling ever so fondly of the green-haired boy.

"Sorry auntie, duty calls." The tea-green haired boy gave the old woman a playful wink, paired together with a jovial grin. "But will make sure to send my master back to Littleroot. July seems to miss her old man, isn't that right, July?"

"See you later then?" Brendan asked with a certain expectation, a little worry glinting in the bright of his eyes.

"Yeah… See you later." Wally said back in a neutral way, his face betraying a little hidden feeling that is lurking deep in his chest. "See you later, friend."

* * *

"Please lay down. We don't know the extent of your injuries." Looker pleaded the restless young man to give a rest on his brave/fruitless actions but to little effect.

Ethan tried to pull off the chains that bind him against the wall and while the noise he is making is quite remarkable for someone so exhausted and hurt, he is doing little more than giving the old man in the room a raging headache.

"Those… cretins left them right at sight just to aggravate me." His golden eyes fixated at the displayed set of Poké-Ball in a small table at the other side of the room. His gaze is so focused that they see almost unhealthy in a way, to his mind. "Worry not, old man. In some way or another I will get my arms out of these chains, and I will get us out of this place."

"Then what? You're no condition to walk properly, let alone fight." The veteran police officer shook his head at the brazen nativity of his young companion. "Preserve your strength, for when the time comes we might need you."

"Know what? You're strangely calm for someone that was yelling profanity at Giovanni just a few hours ago." Ethan adjusted himself properly against the wall, finally stopping the infernal bangs of chains against concrete. He eyed Looker's expression, searching for any hints on that puzzling expression of that person. "Spill it out old man, what twisted schemes you have under that long-sleeved coat of yours?"

With a twitch of his left eyebrow, Looker brought his left arm up. He pulled the sleeve of his coat down his arm, revealing an old looking wrist clock. He kept glancing at that gadget for a few seconds, then turned back to look at Ethan. "I noticed that Josh was very fond of you. He is never fond of anyone, not from what I gathered. Care to share your experience with that boy?" He asked, changing the topic altogether.

And that did not pass unnoticed by Ethan, he caught the way Looker tried to shift the conversation away. While he found that behavior very odd, he decided to let the man have his way. "If you're talking about that creep looking skinny guy. I never met his face before. Kinda glad too, that guy is messed in the head; that's very clear from the way he looks at people."

"Yet he takes great interest in you. Strange, no?" Looker pondered, grazing his thumb and index finger against his chin. "Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't you the Champion of Johto?"

"That I am, what of it?" Ethan replied with a scoff.

"So you're the man who defeated the legendary trainer, Red. That covers a lot of the mysteries about his interest in you." The old officer nodded in his own remarks, not noticing the deeply annoyed scowl he was receiving from Ethan. "That boy has a fanatic obsession with Red. I don't know what Giovanni has put in his head, but clearly made him a dangerously unstable person."

"The way you're talking is as if you know him from before, you know, before this mess with Team Rocket." Ethan said back, a genuine curiosity showing in his face.

"No… Met him for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The youngster tried his hardest to crush me under a collapsing building." Looker relieved his recent encounter with Josh and the events that led him to this situation with a saddened chuckle. "I memorized his file, not that he is special. I did the same with each commanding officer under Giovanni's insane crusade."

An interested hum was the response he received from Ethan, a sign for the older man to continue.

"A single photo is the only evidence, or rather, proof of Josh's childhood. He is young in that photo… very young." Looker cursed low under his breath, while it was too low for Ethan to understand, he could still recognize the name Giovanni escaping the officer's dried lips. "Still, even with this disturbing fact, that is not the strangest part about Josh."

"He can get even stranger?" Ethan said with a short laugh. "Must be something outrageous, like a third arm growing on his forehead."

Looker gave the young champion an indifferent look and just ignored the unneeded 'joke'. "While we are one-hundred percent sure that the boy in that picture is Josh. That boy is nothing like the broken man you saw today." He leaned in against his wall, resting his sore back the best he could. "Chubby face, pink cheeks, messy blond hair, and the most innocent and cheerful blue eyes a child can have. That was the appearance Josh had as a child. See the strange part about this?"

"Sure you got the right kid?" Ethan asked with a playful grin again.

"Raven colored hair, sharp complexion, piercing red eyes… Nothing like his old self."

"But an awful lot like someone I know." Ethan replied this time with a serious tone. He stared fiercely at Looker, his golden eyes almost puncturing a hole on the older man's figure. "You're not suggesting that-"

A blustering clatter erupted from the core of the hidden base. The ground-shaking and so are the walls, as if the entire mountain was crumbling on top of itself. An unnerving flicker of light began to turn the already grey atmosphere of this cell into a frightening experience. A ruthless quake took control of the foundation, this shockwave hitting the room so hard that the already flickering lightbulb popped in a mess of broken glass.

"T-this. I-is. T-the s-shittiest hotel I've ever slept in!" Ethan's voice echoed in the dark, he stuttered almost in every word as his bottom bounced on the ground with the rending seism.

Then, from nowhere the earthquake stopped. Replaced by an uproar of voices and various lesser explosions. A nervous stepping sound came from outside the room, Ethan and Looker exchanged look with a cautious curiosity.

Without notice, the door banged open, a distressed figure rushing inside like a wind-devil. "Looker!" Max shouted with a huge sigh of relief. "Sir, you gave me the scare of my life." The younger investigator dashed to his teacher and senior officer.

"Max… I'm glad you picked my signal." Looker pulled his watch out of his wrist and tossed it on the ground. "Sorry for making this blunder."

"Non-sense boss-man. I won't fault you for doing your job." Max smiled cheerfully. "Hazardous situation is just one of quirks of your line of work. Now keep quiet for a bit, I will break you out of those things." He tackled, pushed and almost bit the iron chains. Max tried even to kick the base of the chains out of the wall, only to hurt his toes. "These goddamned things won't come off."

"We have tried those moves plenty of times." Ethan commented with a tinge of sarcasm in his words. "Get one of my Poké-Balls over there." He pointed to the stack of balls now lying on the dusty ground.

"Who are you again?" Max shoot an accusing glare at the bruised raven-haired man.

"It's okay Max. He is a friend." Looker eased his subordinate wary suspicious. "That man is the Champion of Johto."

He edged closer to the stranger, using the light from the hall to look properly at that person. "Ethan? The Ethan?! Holy shit man, what they have done to your face? I couldn't even recognize you." Max blurted out, shock by the swollen face of the other man.

"Lots of punches, a wall to the face and a very nasty needle." Ethan shrugged, even though it hurts just to give his trademark playful smirks. "Anyway, one of the balls, please."

"Y-yeah… okay." Max crawled over to the set of Poké-Balls and tossed one of them in the air, calling out one of Ethan's companions.

Visible tired with his bruises still not healed, Proto landed with his quick feet on the floor. The Scizor looked at his surroundings a bit confused by the darkroom but took him little time to find the only faintly glowing orbs at the side of the room.

"Proto." Ethan called out. "Take care of these chains, please." He raised his arms up, the heavy chains making noises as their grinded against each other.

Even in dark, Proto could see the state his trainer, his friend is. The scarlet fighter cringed and scowled in anger seeing Ethan like that. **"O-osu…"** Still, he complied and walked over to Ethan's side. His sharp claws made quick work of that old piece of metal, slashing those bindings away from his trainer's arms.

For the first time since he woke up in this awful place, Ethan felt a sense of relief rush within his body. He caressed the marked spot on his arms, hissing at the touch. "Help the old man too, please." Without taking his eyes away from his arms, he asked his hurt Pokémon friend.

Giving a worried glance to Ethan, Proto nodded deeply again and walked over to Looker. His red claws slashed those chains away with the same ease as before. With his job done and his body still needing rest, Ethan grabbed hold of Proto's Poké-Ball and called the red fighter back.

"Now is that time you were talking about, old man?" Ethan asked. He tried to stand up by taking support on the wall, but as his knees were almost completely straight, his legs wobble taking his backside to the floor again. "Dammit…" He hissed quietly.

"Indeed it is. However, you're in no condition to help." Looker just had to glance over to Max for the blonde to nod and start to gather the balls on the floor. "Don't worry young man; we will help you get out of this place."

With Ethan's belongs secured, both investigators wrapped one arm across the golden-eyed champion's back. They let him put his arms around their necks, supporting his weaken body on a standing position."

Another pair of feet sounded the hallway outside; someone in a very big hurry is coming their way. "WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?!" Spiegel appeared at the door, a conflicted look on his face. "Got your prize?" He asked Max, his patience clearly running out from whatever happened on his end.

"Yeah, that and a plus, I guess." Max eyed the tired and bloodied trainer at his side. "Guide the way. Now is the part where you really need to work."

Spiegel wanted to return that one with a not so friendly come back, but he just shook his head and turned to leave. Hearing the slow-paced footsteps coming behind him, he began to walk forward, even if against his liking, guiding them ever so properly.

From every corner, they turned inside that maze of hallways a new wave of Grunts rained upon them. With Ethan in his state, it not only rendered his capabilities of fighting but also Max and Looker, even though Max wouldn't fight anyway if he was able. With that, Spiegel took to himself to fight against each and every challenger that appeared to halt their escape.

By the droves Rainbow Rocket Grunts fell by the sides, their battles ending quick and in a ruthless way. However, the efficiency of Spiegel's reprisal, a heavy toll is taxing not only him but also his Pokémon team. In the last outburst of his strengths, his Absol fainted in exhaustion right after exploding an enemy team together with the heavy metallic exit door.

Taking their first step on the sands of the desert, all four of them sighed deeply in relief. Spiegel stepped aside, making way for the other two to carry Ethan through the tight entrance. He watched quietly their struggle to maintain their pace and keep a hold of their injured companion.

Thump… Thump… from the same broken door, they just escaped, a hard pressing stomping sound echoes. The trio stopped, turning ever so slowly to look at the roaring sound; Spiegel felt the stone against his back trembling at each sonorous stomp.

On pure instinct, he pushed himself away from the mountain base just in time before that little passage exploded to bits. A large and aggressive Tyranitar came out, shouting angrily and bashing anything in its way.

"You really didn't expect to leave that easy, did you?" Raz mocking voice came from behind his stone tyrant. "To take a single step further, you will need to get to me. I would threaten you to not scramble in different ways, but…" He glanced at Ethan and the other two. "I guess you can't even if you wanted to." An evil grin spreading over his lips, his taunting eyes going from the group in front of him to the man closer to him, starting at him from his left side. "Now, now… Lady Luck must be smiling to me today. LOOK WHO I JUST FOUND!" The muscled-head is practically frothing at Spiegel, large veins bulging at the side of his neck.

With a slight quirk of his brow, Spiegel stepped back just enough to be out of that crazed Pokémon's range. "The hell are you on about? I never saw your ugly mug before." He spat back at the mohawk haired man; his casual reaction only serving to push Raz even more in his unreasonable rage.

"Oh Brendan, you break my heart. You just kill my precious Tentacruel and then forgets about me? Tsk, tsk, tsk… So cruel…" Raz faked tears in his eyes as he ran the back of his right hand on his face, then he cracked up in the most hilarious laughter. "Don't you worry though; I will make you remember me very good, and pay that little stunt in Lillycove ten times worse than what you did. Tytanitar, BREAK HIS BONES!"

As if embedded by his trainer's unbridled rage, Tyranitar roared madly and charged in. With heavy stomps, sand flying everywhere, the large Pokémon pounce at his target sweeping the area with his short arms but with deadly strength.

Thanks for the distance he created between him and his unchained aggressor, Spiegel was able to dodge the blow with a short jump to the side. He rolled down a mound of sand, creating enough momentum to get twice the distance he had before.

"ARE YOU WAITING FOR, EXPLODE HIM TO BITS!" Raz shouted from the top of his lungs, the man is entering such a dangerous state of mind that he can't even notice the strong bumps he is crashing on top of his own head. "Go, go, use **HYPER BEAM!** "

A blazing ray of light erupted from Tyranitar's mouth. A white, almost transparent, beam of pure light cascaded without relent, obliterating any hard surface it faces on its way. Spiegel dropped to the left, leaping higher than he ever did to take shelter behind the sturdiest rock formation he could find. That powerful beam exploded against those stones, sending their pieces everywhere and just as the entire foundation of that surface began to crack and crumble, so did the power-infused ray of light.

'Close… too close…' Spiegel wiped a stray drop of sweat running down from his forehead. 'I need to think of something, anything.' He wandered his right hand to his pockets, trying to process any kind exit he could use. 'They can't… not after so many battles.' He frowned feeling the dormant state of his Poké-Balls.

' **Use me…'** A familiar deep tune ringed inside his mind. A voice he judged silenced ever since last night, yet the whispers came again. **'I can save you from this.'**

"Kyogre…" Spiegel bit his lower lip in a strange frustration. "I can't… not again. I will not prove him right. I'm not a monster."

' **There is no shame in seeking your own salvation. I want to help, I need to help.'** Kyogre's once demanding, oppressing manner of speaking has somewhat changed. His working coming more as guilty filled, his intention turning into a bigger mystery than before even more on how pleading his suggestion sounded.

'Think, me, think.' Spiegel chose to ignore the primal's plea. He instead glanced to his surroundings, scanning for any useful tool at his disposal, but nothing came to mind.

"Go on, unleash your power again! Use **Hyper Beam!** " Raz's voice echoed from behind the little dune between them. The crackling on the air gave away the incoming attack, out of ideas and driven to a strange corner, Spiegel shrunk over against the ground, holding his arms in front of his head.

He waited for the impact, embracing himself to withstand a deadly force, yet nothing came. Instead, from the other side of this open arena, three voices cried loudly in pain as sand exploded in the air. Dawning on him what happened, Spiegel jumped from his hiding spot. His blue eyes darting directly to the three men sprawled all over the desert's ground.

Stomping angrily and loud, Tyranitar changed his course and target. Going from Spiegel's location right over to Ethan's, who is lying with his back facing the sky.

"I didn't get to compliment ya, did I?" Raz said in his boisterous manner, the muscled trainer walking beside his towering Pokémon, both stopping right on top of Ethan. "You took a direct hit from my friend here, yet you didn't crook right at the spot. Pretty tough for a scrawny looking guy." He patted his prized companion on the back, nodding down to the downed man. "Shall we test if you can take another one?" He chuckled and whistled loudly.

That cruel whistling sound was the trigger to push Tyranitar into an even madder fit of anger. His small focused eyes glinted with a strange dreading determination; he was going in and going to kill.

" **Spiegel!"** Kyogre's voice echoed inside his head again, louder than ever before but without a hint of the same threatening aura he always carried in other times.

"Goddammit!" He shoved his hand down at the lone pocket of his left leg, only one Poké-Ball is there, only one answer is coming out. Closing his eyes in the act, Spiegel threw his arm forward tossing the cerulean Poké-Ball against the evil duo.

It was a moment, a moment too soon, the exact moment before Tyranitar could smash his heavy arm against Ethan's lying form. Within scorching heat of the desert, a sea of water came from nothing. Steam, freezing waters and soaked sand; the area around them transformed like a trick of magic.

Kyogre's immense form clashed against Tyranitar, the power in his tackle strong enough to eject the stupidly heavy Pokémon to the other side of the desert. The impact Kyogre's dome of water crashing against the sand, caught an unsuspecting Raz head-on, sending the tall man flying all the way back inside their hidden base, his body barely avoiding the tragic fate of exploding against the mountain's base.

"First… that red freak. Now… the blue freak. Can't you play nice for once?" Coughing hard from the impact his back got from his landing, Raz grabbed the sides of the doorway, supporting himself up as he glared at Spiegel's form. "I'll kill you." He boldly declared. "Josh is right. What is the point of struggling every time if I can end it all by killing you. I will fucking kill you, you bastard!" His right foot exploded down against the sand, the man ready to charge and ready to kill with his own hands.

But before he could take his whole body out from his base, a massive sphere of water surrounded that bit of the mountain, pressing the land against itself, crushing the doorway just enough to trap the huge man within its grasp.

Spiegel held his right hand in front of him, his blue eyes shining as it did on that lone isle, as it is doing now as he fully controls Kyogre's actions. "I can say the same." He growled, narrowing his gaze in a threatening way. "You're one of the many annoying hindrances in my life. With a squeeze of my hand and no more of you."

"Hah! Do it then!" Raz challenged Spiegel head-on. His eyes showing a bit of fear but still holding huge confidence in them. "You don't have the balls. Had the chance before on that stupid cave, and you couldn't. Think I will buy this crap? Go on CRUSH ME! Show me how much of a monster you really are."

That word shook Spiegel's resolve to press forward. He cannot do it, not when Brendan's mocking voice rings inside his head, telling him how much for a monster he is.

Lowering his head in defeat, Spiegel began to lose his hold on Kyogre's body, in exchange making the water sphere lose its tight grip, little by little the earthen trap releasing the man inside of it.

"I am no monster…" Spiegel said in a tiny whisper, audible only to himself.

"HAH, in the end, you got no balls." Raz trashed wildly trying to free his body from that annoying hole. "But I do. When I get my hands you on, there will be no mercy, no cold feet. I will kill you, boy!"

Spiegel frowned at the heated threat his enemy is spewing. He only needs to clench his hand and that's it, the problem will be solved… Yet he can't.

As his arm was preparing to go down, his resolve to go through completely fading away, a strong clap of a hand sounded on his left shoulder. A feeling, a powerful and fulfilling sensation spread inside Spiegel's body. His bright blue eyes changed in a rapid and wild manner, now golden light paints his iris. Seeing the world under the gaze of that golden light, feeling his heart under embraced by the warmth of that golden flame, He gritted his teeth and clenched his hand without a second thought.

The earth came crashing down, pressed into a compressed ball of mush and blood by Kyogre's sphere. With not scream, nor a cry of pain, Raz got crushed under that weight.

Ethan pulled his hand away from Spiegel's shoulder, the golden light that infused the brown-haired young man faded away as fast as it came.

"What… WHAT DID YOU DO?" Spiegel turned his head in an instant, his eyes as bigger as saucers, his mouth open with shock and disgust.

"I gave you the courage to do it." Ethan replied with a stern voice, his eyes not leaving those blue eyes not even for a second.

"No… no… I killed him… I… I…" Spiegel curled down, holding his head with both hands. "I am not a monster. I am not."

"No, you're not." Ethan grabbed the panicking man by his arm, taking strength from Arceus knows where, he pulled Spiegel up and forced him to stare at his 'handwork' "You can't be a monster, see. The monster is there, squished bellow those rocks… dead."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	28. Fiery Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Heya, a bit of a heads-up. This chapter will contain a bit of touchy-touchy moments if you know what I mean. So if you're not comfortable with that type of thing and all that, i will put a marking before it starts so you can skip the ordeal. Never know, some people just don't like Smut and all that stuff, so I'm leaving this little note for that case._

* * *

The thundering sound of heavy bodies crashing against the building echoes on the inside. With each of those sounds, the structure trembles as if threatening to topple down on top of everyone. Every single loud bang bashing onto the sealed heavy doors of the foggy/steamy gymnasium, a wave of terrified cries sings even louder.

"This will really hold on?" A young man with green hair stared at the stack of wood and stones they piled against the doors. At the request of his Gym Leader, he and all the others trainers housed in this city promised to remain calm and keep a brave face even if only to not startle the citizens who are just clueless and defenseless as they can be. Still, he can feel his heart sink a little bit at each of those bangs.

"They have to… We used anything that is movable in here." A stern-looking blue-haired woman replied to her distressed friend. "If they don't. They will just buy time and do everything we can. I know she will think of something." She gave him a reassuring smile, her eyes mimicking the same friendly gesture as her lips. "Don't you trust your Gym Leader?"

The green-haired boy glanced to the trainers at his side, all smiling and reassuring him in a similar manner as her. Then his eyes traveled to the lone figure standing at the middle of the large building, a confident and strong red-haired woman watching over as the bystanders use the trap doors to hide on the lower floor.

"I do." He said with a warm grin, his shoulders losing the tense weight they had on them. "Of course I do. There is no Pokémon trainer better than her."

"Hell yeah, no one is better than our Flannery." The second best of Lavaridge Town pumped her right fist up, cheering all her friends to do the same.

While the little speech in between them served to fire up all the trainers under the Heat Badge's banner, someone else is not only completely unaware of their exchange but also totally immersed in her own thoughts.

'Should I rush outside by myself…? A surprise attack with a diversion could buy everyone some time.' Flannery pondered the idea of throwing herself to the wolves just to save her town. She rubbed her chin with one finger in a focused intense way; despite her best efforts to appear calm, the subtle fidget she occasionally slips is way too apparent to some of the elderly watching her from below. 'Maybe I should let them in… funnel everything onto the doors and fight there. Gosh, isn't there an easier way to do this?'

"How are you feeling, little sparky?" A pair of soft hands touched the Gym Leader on her back, making the poor girl jump startled. The gentle looking white-haired granny giggled at Flannery's reaction, rubbing her little sparky's back in a calming way. "You don't have to do to anything by yourself, you hear me?"

With a faint little line of red crossing her cheeks, the red-haired woman looked at the elder just a tad bitty embarrassed. "Hey now, Granny! THERE IS nothing to worry about. I-I will solve this mess in A MINUTE!" Despite her best attempts over the years to lose this habit of raising her voice, way too loudly, when she is nervous; Flannery clearly had little success with that endeavor. "N-NOW, just watch over everyone down there while we work, OKAY?!"

The older woman giggled again, finding ever so cute how a grown woman loses the control of her tongue ever so easily. She ruffled Flannery hairs, running one of her hands all over the woman's red mane, leaving a bit of a mess behind. "Just be careful, okay?" With a sweet parting smile, the old granny carefully made her way down to the other floor, resting her old legs next to the group of people who are hiding in there.

Closing the wooden plate on the door, Flannery took a deep breath and released it all in a long sigh. "Okay, Flannery! You have to protect everyone… That's what grandpa would do." She rubbed her cheeks, making them warm and a little red. Ruby eyes glancing over to the group of trainer standing in front of the barricaded doors. With a vigorous nod of conviction, the brave Gym Leader made her way to where her protégées are, standing right in front of them as they stared in what seems to be impending doom.

For the last two hours, they have become used to the infernal sound of things bashing and punching against the locked Gym. After almost losing their minds from the pressure of those sounds, they have become accustomed to it, so much so that now that is gone they all felt strange.

"Is just me… or they stopped?" The green-haired trainer asked, pointed to one of the walls now in complete silence.

"I can hear too; no, I mean, I can't hear it anymore too." Inching closer to one of the sides, the blue-haired girl checked to see if it was really gone. To her surprise, she didn't hear a single sound. "Flannery, you think they gave up?" She darted her black eyes to her always-admired leader, hopefulness ever so present in the glow of her gaze.

Tilting her head to the left, the Gym Leader looked at her companions with a confused look. "Dunno… Isn't that too easy?" She said with a cautious tone, her voice making the already smiling trainers frown again. "Why have all the trouble to siege the town, push us all the way inside the Gym and then just leave?" Taking a few steps forward, she pressed her head close to the free space on the side of the doors.

At the first moment, she heard nothing, just like all the others. Then, a thundering bang erupted from one of the walls at her side. From the little moment of respite and silence they got, those sounds came back ten times worse and stronger.

Flannery jumped away from the door, in an instant reaction pulled one Poké-Ball from one of her pockets. Her heartbeats went wild, going almost twice as fast as they were before.

**BANG.**

This time the door echoed with the monstrous sound, some of the heavy objects holding the passage close went flying back from the impact. Everyone on this floor went stiffly scared from that; they stared in panic as the organized furniture placed together all began to topple to the side.

**BANG!**

This time, the wall screamed the sound out. The entire building shook violently from that force, even the lights seemed to get weaker. Some of the more terrified trainers stepped a few paces back, shaking in their boots.

"Don't." Flannery said to those who were wavering. Her words not condemning, not condescending; they sounded like a worried plea of someone who is just as scared but determined to fight. "Everyone is counting on us. They placed their trust in this Gym to protect them. So we will Fi-"

**BOOOM!**

Both doors went flying; wood, stone, marble or anything that was being used to hold those two closed flew as far back as the steaming pools at the back of the building. With the rushing gale of wind, storming from outside, a group of black-dressed people came flying in. It was just for a moment, everything happened in a split second, but Flannery could catch a glimpse of their faces as they stormed in without their own consent; terrified, those are the emotion showing on their eyes.

In the shock of the moment, the group of defending trainer could do nothing but stare at their surroundings. Those blasted criminals that tried to take Lavardige Town by force are now laying on the floor, most of them unconscious, the others too scared to move a muscle. From the hazy fog, impeding the sight from outside, they could see a pair of glowing yellow eyes piercing at their form all the way from the back.

"Lookout. Is not over yet!" One of them yelled aloud, pointing out to the smoking entrance.

Heavy steps sounded as a shadowy silhouette approached from outside, the closer that person got, the louder his pacing is. Then from one shadow, three more appeared, those walking slower than the first, still ways behind it. That unrecognizable figure little by little took the form of a tall masculine person, blue eyes piercing by the fog, revealing themselves as they glanced at the people looking directly at them.

Seeing his own handwork, Spiegel cringed at the destruction and the soulless expression on his 'victims' eyes. Taking one last step as he entered the Gym, he looked to the still-standing trainers, looking at him in awe and in apprehension.

"Stop right there!" The second in charge, the blue-haired trainer took the first step, glaring dangerously at the arriving man. "Say your name and what business you have in here. We had enough bandits causing trouble on Lavaridge for one day."

He didn't respond. How furious he is now, how irate and frustrated he is over the past thirty minutes; he cannot give a proper answer to that woman. Instead of giving the woman anything to work with, Spiegel just glared at her with such intensity that even someone as brave as she felt tiny under his gaze.

"Brendan? Is that you?" Flannery called out to him, her words sounding more like an unsure whisper than anything else. She walked past her blue-haired friend, standing right in front of the bruised looking man. Took a few more moments for her to recognize him properly, but with a fraction of certainty that she got in her chest, tearier her eyes got. Flannery bit her lips to hold the tears back but failed to control the rest of her body as she leaned closer and pressed herself against him in a tight hug. "Thank you… Thank you…" She continued to whisper next to his left ear, pressing her moist cheeks against his shoulder.

He looked lost at the touch. Spiegel couldn't grasp the whole situation happening with him right now. However his confusion, he felt the cozy heat of her body warming his cold muscles. The cold tears slowly dripping down on his shirt pushed him to do something that even he himself didn't expect. He took his arms up, wrapping them around the small of her back and pulled her to an even closer embrace.

From her gesture and words, all the wary trainers finally relaxed. They dropped their arms in exhaustion from finally getting rid of all that tension. Still while the sense of danger may have passed, they now have a sense of wonder flooding in. For Flannery, the coolest, fiery and bravest trainer they know; is now breaking in tears over the shoulder of a man they don't know. They will definitely pester her all day with questions after that.

* * *

"For real… how fast is this day passing by?" Brendan said quietly to himself. He sat down on his old bed, eyes staring at the orange color of the dusk. "This room didn't change at all." He glanced at the nostalgic room, eyeing every little detail of the place of once he spent most of his time; planning, studying, dreaming of being bigger than what he was.

Two soft knocks sounded on his door and right after his mother walked in. "Sweetie, I got some bandages for you. Are you sure that you want to do it yourself?" She placed a little tray at his side, giving her son a worried and yet caring look.

"Pretty sure. A few scratches and some bruises are nothing to worry about. But thanks, mom." Brendan gave one wide reassuring smile, something that mellowed the older woman making her smile back at him.

"If you need anything, just call. Me and your father are just a few rooms away, okay?" She said as she grabbed the door to leave, but waited until he replied.

"I know." He said back in a short but gentle way.

His mother smiled again and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

' _Yes, I love her too'_ Brendan flinched as those words floated inside his mind. _'Looking at you… I only feel sickened.'_ Bits by Bits, the words his other-self spilled with no care of the consequences, are rushing back from his memory now that his body has cooled down.

Brendan shook his head furiously, shooing the words away, but the sentiment remained. "Alone and rejected by everyone you love." He scoffed at that, a deeply annoyed frown taking form. "I felt like that once too…" Even if it is wrong in some way, even if he despises the thief who was trying to steal his life away, Brendan feels a strong sympathy for the man that once was Deoxys. He also knows what it's like to feel alone, to lose people that you love. If it were he going through that again, he would lose his mind.

From within his chest, a sad tune echoed. Not from him, not his own sorrow, a foreigner emotion that rings so strong inside of him that he could mistake as his own.

" **Solitude is the worst kind of poison."** To Brendan's unpleasant surprise, Groudon talked to him deep from his mind again.

With everything that happened still so fresh in his memory, he chose to ignore the primal's commentary, letting the cold silence be his reply.

" **A poison that kills the soul and consumes the mind."** Groudon continued, not caring or not showing any reaction to the cold shoulders he was getting from the young human. **"The fear of being alone is strong enough to twist someone, anyone."**

"Groudon, what you want? Huh?" Brendan said back with a not to friendly tone of voice. "You kept radio silent all day long, now you're dropping some poetry out of nowhere. What is your point? To annoy me even further?"

" **I just resonated with your thoughts… I wanted to share something back with you."** Something in what the legendary beast was saying made Brendan very uncomfortable. In a way, in some way, Groudon sounded meek in his words. Groudon of everyone is talking in a calm and shy manner. Making hard to Brendan to decide of wither he feels confused or weirded out.

"Whatever you want to share… I don't care." The young trainer felt an utter displeasing feeling on the matter. Trying to take his mind away from all of this, he instead focused on his messy wet long hair; as he ran his fingers on his long brown strands, he noticed that some of his hair has burned from his battle against Spiegel, leaving everything in a completely unleveled mess.

" **The Usur… Rayquaza. He bonded us; he made us one within two."** Groudon continued, the new topic managing to win back Brendan's interest as the young human gazed down to his hands. **"I know you noticed the changes… the ability that this exchange gave you. The power to fully control me. But again, that was an exchange."**

Brendan remained calm and quiet, quirking just one eyebrow up as to show his interest.

" **I can see your heart, Brendan; more than ever before. I can see you as if… as if it was me."** For a good moment, the old titan stood quiet, thinking over his own words before he went beyond. **"To feel one's heart, one's hopes and fears… one's pain. It is… overwhelming, even for me."**

Without any intention of mockery over Groudon's deep words, a loud snort escaped from Brendan. "So you're prying over my feeling, huh? Got a good laugh out of that?"

" **I am sorry."** Groudon's sincere apology hit Brendan like a truck; silencing any word of smug, he would say back. **"For all the pain… For being nothing more than a calamity in your life… For almost ruining your chance of being happy… Brendan, I am truly sorry."**

Not in a million years, Brendan had imagined he would hear those words from his bane. Not something so deep, not something that hurts so much. To think that Groudon actually said those words, made the young champion question his own sanity. Mulling over, properly and heavily as he should do, Brendan took one hand to his face, covering his sparkling red eyes.

"You…" A low sob escaped from him, his lips quivering slightly as Brendan tried to speak. "You better be, you moron…" Everything bad that those two shared between one another, pained memories, hurt feelings, a sense of hopelessness. All of that came rushing in from Brendan, all of that fading out from him, slipping away from his consciousness as some of the tears that are now sliding down from his cheeks. "This doesn't change anything… Anything between us. Not after all that crap you put me through." Brendan said quietly, biting his lips as he was done speaking.

" **That I know… That I know…"**

* * *

"This is… absurd." Ethan growled loudly. From the heavy persistence nagging of the elderly locals, he accepted their special treatment for his wounds. Of course, he finds the idea of healing his broken body with just the heat of steamy water a ridiculous concept, yet he gave in just for their annoying requests to go away.

"Hurts like hell too." He clicked his tongue as he continues to felt the insane prickling sensation of the water washing over his barely closed cuts. His eyes glanced down to his lean body, making him cringe at the amount of bruised and purple spots doting his skin. 'Silver… I wonder what he is doing now.' His lips parted in a short little grin.

" **Now I see why my feathers felt a different wind today."** A royal deep voice sounded from above the hot springs. A voice Ethan has not heard for so long, way too long. **"In what kind of mischief have you thrown yourself into this time?"**

"The same as always, you know… Battling against an ancient being who controls the sea, getting my face smacked whenever I feel myself too much. You know, the usual stuff." Ethan chuckled at the last one, taking his gaze upwards to the sky. "You found me, Ho-Oh."

Hovering in gracious silence above the unknowingly little town, Ho-Oh let go of the blinding lust of his rainbow wings, as the light evaded his feather his size began to shrink. He continued the process until his size was small enough to land inside the hot pool of water without breaking everything.

" **Your arm, give it to me."** He ordered with an inexpressive tone. Red piercing eyes gazing deeply at the young human in front of him, his expression posing a commanding tone that his voice failed to deliver.

Ethan quirked an eyebrow but did as he was told. Hissing in pain as he pulled his right arm out of the water, he extended the member high and straight. He held it there, staring at the imposing phoenix, as the majestic bird glanced down to the cuts marking his skin.

A faint glow spread from Ho-Oh's wings, going all the way to his golden beak. He then gave a soft peck on his guardian's skin, transferring that light down to Ethan's wounded body. That power exploded inside Ethan's body, the light burning strongly as a blazing bonfire, it continues to extend to the entirety of his being, burning away the pain, closing the cuts whatever their size and easing all stress from his muscles. As that sparkle of power faded away, so did Ethan's wounds; from no more than a few seconds his body healed, almost completely.

Ho-Oh eyed up to the man's face and failed to hide the sympathy look flashing in his eyes. **"That scar… I cannot heal."** He explained calmly, pointing to the ugly mark on Ethan's face.

Ethan looked down to his reflection on the water and despite the blur that his image is on there, he could see the scar Ho-Oh was talking about. That nasty cut the Rainbow Rocket woman slashed on his semblance, a mark that goes from his cheek apple all the way down to the side of his chin.

He ran two fingers over that mark, trying to feel how his skin has changed. Despite the ugly look that things have, it has no feeling at the touch. Giving a tired shrug, Ethan took his hand away and looked over to the mighty Pokémon. "It's okay… I will take this as a reward for being stupid."

Ho-Oh gave just one understanding nod, and then his mood changed rather rapidly.

" **What is the guardian of Johto doing so far away from his land?"** He asked with deadly seriousness.

"Doing a favor for a friend. The plan was to come here kick an old and stubborn ass, and then I would head right back home." He raised both arms, pointed at his face with one hand. "As you can see, things didn't turn out that simple. Anyway, I am glad you missed me so much that you came looking for me."

" **An erroneous assumption of yours. Even if you were dying, I would not come over here because of you."** Ho-Oh replied with a certain degree of annoyance at his guardian's sass. **"I came here to give you a warning. Palkia and Dialga are together in one plane once again. Someone brought those two over to this land."**

"Palkia and Dialga?" Ethan dropped his playful act. "Those are… Damn, I should remember this. It's right here, at the tip of my tongue."

" **Leave Hoenn."** Ho-Oh said shortly to Ethan surprise. Not once Ho-Oh has given such a direct order to his guardian. **"That is what I want of you, leave this place and go back to Johto at once."** Focusing his gaze at the golden eyes of the young champion, Ho-Oh waited for a few moments in silence, letting Ethan respond, something that he did not do. **"If you choose to stay, I have another mission for you."**

At that, Ethan raised his gaze back to the legendary bird's eyes. "Not again…" He complained in a soft whisper.

" **Should someone open the way to the other world. Should Giratina once again enter our plane of existence..."** Ho-Oh paused, closing his red eyes for a brief second. **"Make sure to push it back inside whatever dark hole it comes from. Should you fail at that… this world will know the wrath of something that is pure evil."**

"Wait; hold on for a second there. If this Giratina is so bad and evil and scary. Why the hell don't YOU push it back?" Ethan jumped from his sitting form, his naked body flashing out of the steaming waters. "I mean, you're way stronger than I am or even Lugia. Care to help a little for once?"

Ho-Oh chuckled at the clear defiance of his guardian. He hates to explain himself more than once and hates even more insubordination. But then again, he gave his gift to this human, is only a given that he has the courage to stand up against the mighty legendary.

" **I gave you my warning. The choice of what to do, that remains within your grasp."** His rainbow feathers began to gather its lost sparkle, the phoenix body slowly regaining its giant form. **"Don't throw your life away Ethan, whatever your choice is."** With that said, Ho-Oh spread his wings far wide and with one explosive feathered flap, the jolted to the sky, disappearing behind the orange clouds.

"Again? AGAIN?!" Ethan shouted, cursing at the heavens with his fist clenched. "You lazy bastard, DO YOUR JOB YOURSELF FOR ONCE!" Railed up in frustration, he let his body fall backward, his back splashing on the hot spring. "Come on man… I just wanted to have some fun."

* * *

Sitting quietly with his back against the damaged building of the Pokémon Gymnasium, Spiegel watched as the citizen of Lavaridge took back their town and rejoiced in their regained freedom. The silent savior of the city stood there for what seems like hours, he watched Looker and Max taking away the criminals he himself had knocked down, the duo of investigators probably working some way to lock the gang members in a secure place until their found a better option.

He also noticed how the people of this town flocked around the red-haired Gym Leader as if she was their mom or something. Anyone from the elderly to the children, they all came looking for Flannery whenever they had any doubts. And she gladly listened to all of them. Curiously enough, she would spare a glance or two at Spiegel's way whenever she could.

Just like right now, she is standing at the center of the busy town, three other trainers circling her, they all making such a ruckus and noises. But she is happily giving them attention, yet her eyes always find a way to divert away from the group and wander to the spot where Spiegel is sitting by himself. As their eyes met, she raises a hand giving him a smile and a wave.

"Who died?" Ethan's voice sounded from the right.

Spiegel at first frowned at the stupid question, throwing a warning glare to the incoming man. But as his eyes landed on Ethan, completely fine and walking all by himself. Spiegel raised an eyebrow. "How?" He asked.

"Who knew, those hot waters really heals you." Ethan replied with a goofy grin. After his 'healing' bath, he was once again, immensely bothered to wear something new and fresh, so now he is wearing a long grey kimono with wooden sandals.

Excusing himself the spot, Ethan sat down by Spiegel's side, not really minding the disapproving look he was getting.

"Sorry for that stuff in the desert, okay?" Ethan started again. "I lost my cool for a moment and pushed you to do something you didn't want to do." He played with the loose belt of his clothes, glancing sideways to the silent young man at his side. "But what I said before, I still stand by that. You're not a monster, that guy was."

"Doesn't matter anymore. Monster or not, that man is dead. So let's just drop it." Spiegel replied coldly, casting his gaze down to the ground.

Ethan turned his face to look at him properly, an apologetic smile on his lips. "Okay, subject dropped." He accepted the request; however, he is not done with their talk. "So, what should I call you? Because you're clearly not Brendan."

Spiegel darted his head upwards, giving a surprised look at Ethan. "How did you know?"

At that, reaction Ethan just chuckled and slapped his new friend's left arm. "You have his face, but your aura is completely different from his. I mean, is like white and black the difference between you two."

Not really understanding the meaning of those words, Spiegel just nodded. "Spiegel… My name is Spiegel."

"Spiegel, okay. So Spiegel, how come you have Brendan's face?" Ethan asked with hidden malice in his tone.

"Long story… But is not just the face. I have everything else too, or at least I thought so." Spiegel looked at his chest as if looking for something that he could really see. "But I guess I don't have his… _Aura?"_

"Long story, huh… Sure, I will not pry on something that you don't want to share." Ethan said, dropping any interest he had in the topic. But then again, his lips are still flashing a devious smirk. "Anyway, I need you to tell me something else. What is your deal with that girl there?" He pointed to Flannery.

Spiegel followed Ethan's finger. His eyes going from their spot all the way over to the red-haired woman. Once again, she is looking at him and their eyes met. She smiled again and waved. "N-Nothing…" Spiegel babbled out, this time feeling really conscious of her attention.

"Come on... I saw that hug you two shared before." Ethan saw how red Spiegel's face was getting and with that, he found a gold mine of entertainment. "Moreover, she glances at you like two times a minute. There's gotta have something going with you two."

"Nothing, okay?! We don't have anything, stop with the annoying questions." Spiegel cried out, throwing his arms in the air.

"Why not?" Ethan was not stopping anytime soon. "She is cute, isn't she? I mean, just look at her." He noticed that instead of looking at her Spiegel turned his head to the complete opposite way, which prompted Ethan to pinch his arm.

With a loud pained yelp, Spiegel glared back at Ethan, growling at him like an angered Pokémon. His animosity was met with a friendly smile and a pointing finger, twitching at a very specific direction. He sighed in defeat, slowly turning his head and gaze to the loud Gym-Leader and as his eyes landed on her figure, he began to notice a lot more than before.

Her hair is red, of course, the first thing that jumps to mind with that flashy style of hers. They are a beautiful mess that sprawl all over her back in a bushy ponytail. A full bang of hair cascades down from her forehead, masking her right eye under sparkly scarlet stands of hair. Her eyes, red like shining rubies, that carry within them a fiery passion and also a sweet innocence.

Going to the whole picture of Flannery is completely new wonder. Her body is tall and lean, her skin is pale and pretty, which gets a lot of attention due to her clothing choices. She wears a long black button-up shirt that has none of the buttons in their sockets, leaving more of her belly at view, but she also wears a small orange tank top, which of course hides her breasts, seeing that her shirt fails to do so. Her pants are also a work of art to anyone that looks at her, a pair of dark blue jeans that are as long as to reach the top of her black shoes, whoever they had huge gaps at the side, another fashion choice of hers, that shows a lot of her skin.

"Jeez man, need a napkin or something?" Ethan called out to his entranced companion. "You're drooling all over her."

Spiegel tore his gaze away from her, taking his eyes to anywhere that didn't have Flannery. His face going red as a tomato when Ethan pointed out how long he has been staring at her form.

Something that Flannery noticed too, seeing how red her own face is. Something that her friends teased her about it, pushing the poor girl to walk away and leave the group to their antics.

"See, she is good on the eye, no?" Ethan joked again, punching Spiegel on the arm.

"Why don't you go after her then?" Spiegel spat back, scowling at all the attention he is receiving from this person.

"Hm… that is an idea, no?" Ethan said, posing a finger under his chin. "Nah, I can't do that. I have my own red-haired waiting for me. And I'm kind with a bit of problem here. My pretty face is no so spotless as before."

"Whatever, just… stop."

"Hey, guys. What are we talking about?" As if just to spite Spiegel's existence, Max popped out from nowhere, taking a seat at his other free side.

"Hey, blondie. Glad you joined us, now you can help me with this." Ethan beamed to the newcomer; his smiling giving away all that Max needed to follow along with the champion's ploy. "Remember the cutie that is Gym Leader here? Won't you say that she has the hots for our friend here?"

Max glanced to Flannery, now talking with some people at the edge of town. "That girl, huh…" He eyed her some more, thinking hard and properly about the question, but soon enough his lips parted into a grin. "Totally. I noticed how much she keeps stealing glanced from you." He poked at the side of Spiegel's arm; all this poking and punching are driving him insane. "She is totally into you, champ."

"See!" Ethan cheered over happily.

Spiegel shrunk down against his standing knees, hiding his mouth against his pants. He mumbled a low ramble, frowning as he did so.

"What's that?" Ethan asked, poking him at the side again.

"She is not into me, dammit!" Spiegel lashed out, his voice coming a little to louder than he wanted, getting the attention of the other group of trainers that were just a little ago teasing Flannery because of him. "If… If she is even interested in someone, that someone is Brendan, not me…" He shrunk down against his knees, now more depressed than before.

Ethan and Max exchanged glances, they both feeling a bit down after Spiegel's outburst.

"I call it nonsense." Ethan said back. "She came to hug you, not Brendan. She was staring at you, not Brendan."

"He's right." Max jumped in. "I mean, sure you look like lover boy. But! Who was the one who saved her town, huh? Who was the one that came all the way here, so she could cry on his shoulder?" The blond officer didn't give the answer with words he pointed down at Spiegel and winked.

"That…" Spiegel began to talk by then froze, a long sigh escaping his lips.

"This may be heartless of me to say, but I will say it anyway." Max changed his tone of always friendly and playful to his rare serious persona. "You should give up on Zinnia. That feeling of yours will not lead you anywhere but getting hurt. If meeting a new girl is the way to jump out of that pain train, go for it."

While it hurt to hear that, it also rang truth to Spiegel's ears. He remembers how terrible he felt when she walked away, leaving him behind. How much it hurt when she choose Brendan over him. He didn't want to feel that miserable for his entire life.

Ethan who was shocked with eyes almost popping out, shook his head and grabbed Spiegel by his shoulder. "Y-yeah… I mean, is not cool to go after a lady that has her feeling for others. Come on." He stood up, pulling with him the downed and depresses Spiegel. "Give it a shot, just go there say hello and be nice." He pushed the young man forward with a light tap of his hands. "Shake her world, tiger."

The immense amount of cringe Spiegel felt as the entire city stared at him after Ethan yelled that. He wanted to die, right here and right now. Still, despite the utter humiliation of everyone watching his every step, he continued to walk forward, each step at time.

Flannery noticed him walking toward her, a bright smile appeared on his lips, her attention completely changing to the young man getting closer. The couple who was talking with the fiery Gym Leader shared a curious glance and both smiled, they waved their farewell to her and left her alone to speak with the handsome boy.

"BRENDAN!" Her voice almost pierced his eardrums. She tried to call him a friendly cool way, but her habit kicked in again, forcing her voice to storm out of her mouth. She noticed how he flinched a little, making a red line blush over her cheeks. "H-hi…"

"Hi…" He replied with a shy little smile.

"I have to say. I am SO GLAD that you showed up. I mean, we were holed up in that place for just a few hours and my mind was almost exploding with nerves." She beamed in happily, clapping both hands in front of her. "TO HAVE the champion himself coming to rescue us… I am so happy."

He smiled back, feeling somewhat guilty for not correcting her right away that he is not really the champion. But that pretty smile she gave him, pushed Spiegel to gulp down the truth for now. "And I am happy that I could help everyone. Those criminals are being a problem everywhere." He rubbed the back of his head as he tried his best to no glance anywhere that was not her face.

"I heard about that! They are SUUUCH bad people!" Flannery fired up, clenching her fists as he cursed those evil gang members. "I heard they took over Mauville, Rustboro and most of the major cities… That kind makes me even more glad that you chose to help us even with Hoenn like this."

"I… Yeah…" He stuttered in his words. The awkwardness on him was not due to discomfort or anything of the sort. Somehow, Spiegel is finding himself dazzled by this woman, well, everything. So much so, that he is finding hard to process anything to say to her. A little awkward silence was setting in between them but quickly was pushed away by a ridiculous loud whistle coming from the Gym's direction.

Spiegel turned his head to the noise's source, only to find Ethan glaring at him, both hands at his hips.

He changed his eyes away from the demanding man, taking their back to the curious woman glancing past him, at the pair staring at them from afar. "Don't pay attention to those two. They are crazy, like insane crazy." He said with hand hiding his mouth as if somehow those two would be able to read his lips.

Flannery looked back at him and laughed at his little act. "Brendan, you're going back now?" She asked with a hopeful gaze. "I MEAN, you SHOULD stay and join the little celebration we're doing tonight." She held her hands together, looking at him with expecting eyes.

That's it, Spiegel cannot deny how much she affects him. It is as if everything this woman does is cute in his eyes, even her occasional explosive voice. He smiled genuinely, no awkwardness this time. "That would be really nice." He replied.

"NICE! YEAH, THAT WOULD BE NICE!" Flannery went full explosion this time, her face beaming with happiness. "I will see you later tonight." She leaned in and hugged him again, now quickly pulling back. "Thanks again, Brendan." With that, she dashed onwards to her group of friends, leaving a dumbstruck Spiegel behind.

"Nice job, green leaf. She was all smiles and giggles as she ran past us." With some sort of sorcery only those two know about, Ethan and Max immediately appeared behind the poor soul. Ethan was the first one to say something, hugging Spiegel by his neck and shuffling his hair.

"Shut up…" Spiegel replied, sucking up a bit on how startled he got by those two. Still, he is now smiling together with them. Maybe this meeting new people is not so bad after all.

* * *

Zinnia stared at the closed door, she fidgets her fingers in front of her. She wants so badly to knock, yet her hands would not move. But, the little Whismur standing next to her is not so patient. Aster with no ceremony or shame knocked more than six times at the door, at each knock, the sound got louder than before.

"Aster!" Zinnia whined looking down to her little girl.

 **"Mur?"** Aster looked back to her, not getting why her mom was upset.

"Coming!" A sweet voice sounded from inside, a feminine one.

Zinnia went stiff and pale as the door opened. A friendly looking older woman greeted her with a welcoming smile.

"Yes?" She asked the tanned girl.

"Is Brendan here?" Zinnia asked with the shyest and tamed voice she has ever used.

"Well, yes. My darling little boy has come home today." The older woman beaming with happiness, her cheeks puffing as her smile grew even larger. "But excuse me, er…"

"Zinnia."

"Zinnia, heh. Sorry, but Brendan is really tired today. I know he is really famous now, but he is receiving visitors."

"Ah... No. I." Zinnia stuttered, confusion Brendan's mother with her broken sentence.

"That is Brendan's girlfriend." A deep and stern voice sounded from behind the happy looking woman.

"Darling?" She looked back to her husband, surprised to see him there and by what he said. "Girlfriend?" The woman looked back at Zinnia as if she has turned into a different person. "Oh my. Come in, please!" She grabbed the draconid girl by the arm, pulling her inside the house and leaving Norman to close the door.

Zinnia felt slightly uncomfortable with the free touchy way that woman is being with her. Still any restrictions she had entering this house melted away when they reached the living room and found Brendan sitting on the large couch with a little baby in his arms.

"Zinnia?" He looked at her in total surprise.

"Hey…" She responded with a short wave.

"Brendan! Why didn't you told me you have a girlfriend?" His mother hissed at the poor oblivious man. "I almost made a fool out of myself and not let her in. Oh, look dear, that is Brendan little sister. My little girl July." She presented Zinnia to the sleeping baby on Brendan's arms. Ever the mother owl, she always shines with happiness at the sight of that little girl.

Aster, again with little reservation, run right at Brendan, jumping on top of the couch.

 **"She is yours?!"** She asked Brendan with a curious voice. The little pink ball jumped up and down, trying to take a look at July's face.

Brendan smiled at Aster antics. He bent over and lowered his arms, letting them rest on top of his legs. "This is my baby sister, say hi Aster."

 **"Hi…"** Aster nudged closer to July, feeling the softness of the baby skin she squealed like any girl would do. **"She is cute."**

At that, Brendan laughed to his heart content.

"That little Whismur is yours?" Brendan's mother asked in a rhetorical way. "She is so friendly and cute."

Zinnia giggled at the praise over her small furball. "Aster… She is my little girl." Her response made the older woman look at her and give an understanding smile.

"She is our little girl." Brendan corrected, making Zinnia blush and his mother squeal in delight.

"Love, let the kids have some time together." Norman announced as he came back to the living room. "Brendan, you can let July sleep on the couch. We will watch over her."

"Okay, dad." As for his father suggestion, Brendan stood up and turned around, carefully placing his sleeping sister on the soft pillows. "Aster, can you watch my sister for us?" He asked Aster with a cooing whisper.

Aster jumped with joy, the little Pokémon moved closer and sat right next to July.

"Look at her. She is the sweetest pink ball I've ever seen." Brendan's mother leaned down and kissed Aster head, making the little Pokémon cry out happily, still ever so committed to watching over the sleeping baby.

Taking Zinnia by her hand, Brendan took her to the long hallway, guiding her to his old bedroom. At the background, they could hear Brendan's mother squealing, as she watched their hands paired together.

Getting in and closing the door behind them. Brendan took a sit on his old bed, Zinnia just chose to stand in front of him, looking at him.

"I thought you would wait for me in Ever Grande." He asked her with a tilted eyebrow.

"I was waiting for you… until I couldn't wait anymore." She said with a little sad frown. "I wanted to see you."

"I am glad that you came." Brendan responded with a calm voice. He took her hand up, kissing it in a warm way.

"What are you thinking about?" Zinnia looked at him with an inquiring pose. "Your face is all tensed and your shoulders are stiff… What is in your mind, Brendan?"

Brendan sighed, letting go of her hand. "I was thinking about… him." He said with a grimace. "The things he said… I cannot take out of my head."

Zinnia didn't say anything. Even if she knew what to say it would probably make things worse as for how complicated this matter is.

"You know, at the time I just ignored everything and focused all in hating him for any reason I could. But…" He took both hands to his head; clearly, this ordeal is taking a huge toll on him too. "Now, after all that. I took some time to think about it. I imagined if I was him, if I was out there, loving you and knowing that I would never have you. That is cruel."

Something in what he said rubbed wrong with Zinnia. "What now? You want to share me with him?" She asked with poison coated words. Even if she finds outrageous Brendan of all people thinking like this, she cannot help but feel dirty by her own comment, taking into account what she has done before behind his back.

"No. Never!" Brendan cried out, taking both of her hands with his. "I would never… share you with anyone. I rather die than do something as stupid as that." He sighed deeply in frustration, frustration with his useless delusions.

* * *

_**TOUCHY-TOUCHY ALERT!** That thing I talked about in the notes. So if this is not your thing, no need to go further down than here._

* * *

With a light push of his arm, Brendan pulled his girlfriend to him. While he put little strength on the motion, Zinnia came crashing on top of him, forcing both of them to lie down on the soft mattress.

"Hey, you…" She cooed sweetly, her arm breath grazing against his neck.

Brendan held her tighter, pressing her body against him and then he rolled both of their body, switching their position. "Hey…" Taking his right hand over to her left cheek, stroking and caressing the soft of her skin. His touch making her purr in delight. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

She giggled happily under him. "Someone is feeling a bit touchy." She brushed the tip of her thumb against his lower lip. Brendan closed his eyes, leaning closer to her hand, letting her skin graze all over his jawline. "Brendan." Zinnia called his name with nothing but tenderness in her voice, her red eyes glossing with the sight of his face. "I love you."

If Brendan had any restrictions left holding him, they are all but gone now. He grabbed her hand, pressing her arm against the white bed sheet. At first, his lips only tickled against the softness of her own lips, and then he continued with little pecks and quick kisses. Zinnia giggled again, feeling delighted by his arm. Suddenly his little kisses changed to more deep and passionate ones, rushing such a powerful wave of feeling down on her, that Zinnia could not help herself but close her eyes and moan against his lips.

As much warmth and joy those kisses gave him, Brendan wanted more, his body wanted more. He pressed his hips against hers, pushing her legs aside with one of his. Zinnia groaned for a moment when he parted his upper body away from him, but that was just for a moment. Adjusting himself to better explore her wonders, Brendan quickly came down on her again, pressing his lips yet again onto hers.

His tongue pushed and moved on their kiss, Zinnia smiled at his eagerness and opened her mouth to let him have his way. In that, their tongues locked themselves in a trance, a magical dance of their own, trading their taste with one another, trading their care for each other, trading love between them at each movement.

Zinnia completely lost herself for a moment, her mind blacked out and her body slightly limp. She could only be focused on his taste, on his lips. Kissing and licking, she explored the entirety of his mouth as if this is their first time sharing a kiss, she continued going, moaning and sucking, until a firm touch under his skin made her gasp and pull away.

"Brendan…" She tried to sound serious in her words, but the softness of her voice betrayed her. "What are you doing?" Her eyes traveled down, glancing at the bump under her shirt. In their heated exchange, Brendan slid his right hand under the fabric of her shirt, pressing his fingers in a tight hold of her left breast. "W-we can't do this here… You parents are just in the other room." She warned him in a worried tone.

Brendan, who hadn't stopped his kissing only changed its location down to her neck, groaned in complain, his hand squeezing, even more, her soft mound. "You don't want to?" He glanced up, eyes pleading like a little puppy who really, really, wanted to play.

Under those eyes, Zinnia bit her lower lip, wanting nothing more than to ravish this man like no tomorrow. "But… what if they come in here." She gave the closed door at the other side of the room a wary look.

Brendan shook his head negatively, burying his face down against her shoulder. "They won't." He replied dryly. "No parents would walk in their son's room while he is with his girlfriend." He gave a quick reasoning, before sliding down over her body and changing his attention over to the tip of her shirt. With a lustful grin, he took both of his hands over to the black colored fabric and began to pull her shirt up, ever so slowly.

The way he is stripping her top is somewhat frustrating in a good way. Zinnia is scared of being found naked with her lover, but she also wants him to tear her clothes away and do so much more. Brendan choosing to torture her by casually pulling her shirt up, making sure to scrape every bit of her sided with it, is not helping her nerves.

Deciding to finally release Zinnia of that delightful frustration, Brendan pulled the entire thing out, carefully and caring, making sure to not hurt her face at the act. He tossed the piece of clothing on the floor and took his eyes to her form, most precisely to her large and alluring mounds.

In her boyish manner and with the loose shirts she uses most of the time, those things make a deceiving conception about her body. Brendan already knows that she has large breasts but seeing them, even hidden behind that black-laced bra, he always feels surprised and in awe of how big they really are.

"Really... How lucky can I be?" He said playfully, taking a smirk out of his girl.

His right hand went forward, grasping her left breast. His fingers pressed and rubbed on her, he clicked his tongue by feeling her through another layer of annoying fabric. With that, his hand traveled down and sunk behind it, finally touching her bare skin, grazing on her softness, pinching on the stiff part of her nipple. The jolt that action sent up her body, made Zinnia moan somewhat louder, stronger.

"Brendan…" She whispered his name, taking her hand to the back of his hand and rubbing them on his hair.

Her voice gave away how turned on she truly is, serving only to push Brendan even more in his certainties. Tired of fighting against that pesky bra all the time for space, he moved both hands to her back, casually opening and taking them out. Freed of that hindrance, Brendan made sure to focus back on her soft breasts. He pressed, rubbed and pinched to his heart content, making her moan, hiss and sigh in pleasure. Although his heart content of pressing, rubbing and pinching quickly filled up. He wants more, so much more. His head leaned in, his lips latching on her right nipple, sucking as passionate as they could.

Zinnia looked down at him with a contented smile, rubbing her hands even more on the back of his head. Then she jumped, letting out a bit too much of her voice. He bit her, his teeth sunk fairly rough on her stiffness, while he put no real strength in his bite, it was enough to make Zinnia jump in surprise. He licked the stinging spot, knowing that it would make her feel even better and it did. She basked in the pleasure of his tongue rubbing against the marked spot, she bit her lips and licked her lips, then she yelped even louder when he bit her yet again.

"Brendan!" She gave a soft slap on his back, making him chuckle and resume with his soft caress.

While Brendan continued to suck and kiss at her breasts, now paying attention to both of them. His hands went on an adventure of their own. They traveled down, running carefully on her skin, feeling each little spot of her firm body. His right hand split ways from its journey partner on the height of her bellybutton, drifting quietly but lovingly to the side of her hip, pressing her even closer to him. His left hand, on the other hand, more adventures, more daring; continued its journey down and bellow. Going past the line of her waist, his fingers grazed ever so teasingly on her skin, making round lines in its way, pressing and rubbing until it finally landed on the inner side of her left thigh.

He was never someone to pay attention to clothing; he barely did to his own. But man he sure is glad for Zinnia's fashion choices. Her black shirt, of course of little importance now that is laying on the ground, but the dark grey shorts ever so tight that she is using is like a blessing in disguise. He can feel up to her most intimate place without much problem, better yet, with hos close the fabric is pressing against her skin, he can feel each little twitch and tremble that she lets out under his caress. Drawing lines along the seam of her shorts, he fingers went round and about, feeling every bit of her lower body until they landed on a specific part, taking a louder pleasured groan from her.

Zinnia shivered under his various touches. His mouth was driving her crazy on her breasts and now his hands, mostly the left one, was pushing her to the brink of losing herself entirely. However, that was enough! She had enough of being pushed around and doing nothing. Biting her lips a bit more harshly than before, Zinnia got a hold of her senses, taking her hands up and pressing them onto Brendan's chest. While she wanted to tease him as much as he was teasing her, she had no patience left after all that. So instead of going slowly and around in her caress, Zinnia grabbed the lower end of Brendan's shirt and forced him to stand. With a quick swoop, she yanked the white thing away from his body and tossed it to who knows where.

She gave a long and dirty stare at his form, her eyes traveling from his broad shoulders down to his defined abdomen. It can't be helped, looking at those defined abs, those stern muscles, she had to lick her lips as he ran her fingers over that six-pack.

Brendan chuckled at the look she was receiving from his lover. A moment before, she was moaning with closed eyes, so shyly trembling under his every touch. Now, she is pressing herself onto him, beckoning him to go further to crave more. And that he did.

He placed a kiss on the tip of her left breast, then a quick one on the right, going down in a trail of kissed at the soft skin of her belly. His right hand finally joined down with the left one, both taking hold of what is left of her clothes and carefully pulling them out. Fully stripping the woman he loves, Brendan paused for a moment to appreciate her beauty.

He first landed eyes on her large mounds, now all glossy and wet from his stay there. Then he glanced down to her belly, soft and yet firm, a perfect mixture of her form that allures him so much. Finally, he looked down her waist, to her firmly-muscled thighs and a bit upwards onto her exposed intimate are; Her lower lips a bit chubby and gleaming with her wetness, above the few and thin hairs of her crotch are cute as any part of her. "So pretty." He whistled almost unintentionally.

She blushed violently under his gaze and praise. The tanned color of her face getting redder and brighter, as her eyes shifted to the side to avoid his devouring gaze.

'Cute' Brendan grinned. How can the crazy woman that challenged everything head-on, can be this cute, cute as a shy and reserved girl. He wondered the mysteries of his lover as he leaned down onto her crotch. His invading tongue surprise her, his wet and exploring tongue made Zinnia clench her teeth, toes twitching and arms going up to the support of his bed. She was about to scream loudly in pleasure, her voice ready to burst and announce to the world how much she is loving this, but she held on, betting her lips and closing her eyes shut.

As Brendan relentlessly continued to eat away at her private area, Zinnia clapped both hands on top of her mouth. She pressed hard against her lips, releasing muffled moans of pure ecstasy. Even without looking, she can visualize everything down there; his tongue going around and exploring the sides of her lower lips, his hot breath grazing on her sensitive skin, the soft but almost unbearable nibbles he would casually give on her most sensitive spot.

It is too much, if she could freely release her pleasure through her voice, she would be able to hold on and enjoy his touch. Like this, closing her eyes, holding her voice, losing herself to him without control of her body. Zinnia could not express joy in the normal ways she would normally do; calling his name, moaning as loud as he wanted, scratching the firm spot of his back, all of that taken away of her. But with the pleasure pilling on, it has only one way to relieve itself, to pour itself out onto the world. So with her body arching up, her hands flying down to the sheets and nails digging deep on those white sheets, she came.

A bittersweet taste flooded his senses; her taste came rushing to Brendan's mouth. He noticed how violently she shook against his bed, how a muffled scream echoed inside the room, but only in his room, as she did her best to let anyone hear her. Brendan pulled himself away from her, staring at his girl, panting and sweating. He smiled in triumph, seeing how much she felt it this time.

But now, he has a problem of his own, his own lust has awakened as furious as never before. His stiff member tugging at his loose pants, begging for some action. And oh, how much Brendan wants that action as well, but he knows he can't, not now so suddenly. While he did roll his pants and underwear down his legs, said member flopping happily in the air, he remained calm and went up, kissing Zinnia in the cheeks.

"I will start now, okay?" He whispered softly against her ear. Still breathing heavily, but smiling ever so brightly, Zinnia looked down at him and nodded.

Brendan put two of his fingers inside his mouth, making sure to lick and soak them properly. He then scooted down to his previous position, spreading her legs properly and holding one thigh with his free, non-licked hand, taking the other to her entrance. How much Brendan wanted to just go in and devour Zinnia without relent, to let his self-control go away and bask in pure pleasure, but he knows better than that. He knows how different her body is, how much care he needs to put in preparing her first, as for the tightness of her properly adjust to his size.

He slid the first finger in, slowly, rubbing the sides of her inner walls. Zinnia groaned again, sliding her head to the side as she closed her eyes. Brendan continued to rub, push and pull, making enough escape for the second one to go in. As he pushed his second finger inside, she flinched and gasped. Her inside wrapping themselves around his warm, it stung for a little while, growing used to so much feeling her up, but as he gently waited, patiently caressed her insides, she felt relieved and the tightness loosing up bit by bit.

Zinnia looked down at Brendan, she looked at him with teary eyes, roguish breathing. His smile made her feel butterflies inside her stomach, every time they share their time together, at each loving session, he shows how much he cares about her, how much patience he has in making sure that she will never hurt. She smiled back at him, a lone tear dripping down from one of her cheeks, and nodded from him to go on.

Getting her consent, Brendan pulled his fingers away from her. He took a deep breath and moved closer to her; pushing her legs a bit more spread, he pressed his tip on her entrance. His right hand went up searching for her right hand, he locked their fingers together, squeezing her hand and she squeezed back. His hip pressed forward, his tip pushing its way inside of her. Zinnia gasped as his length invaded her, she greeted her teeth, feeling a rush of pain as she is being spread open from inside.

Her caring and warm hand -hug changed to a pained and forceful squish of Brendan's hand. She groaned quietly as he continued to go in, his member filling her more than she could fit normally, her body making way even if painfully as her lover went inside of her. The base of his stiff member finally touched her entrance, his hips resting against her butt. She gasped again, feeling some sort of relief knowing that he was now all inside of her.

Brendan leaned in on her, pressing a light kiss on her lips. "Sorry…" He whispered with a saddened grimace.

"It's okay… It's not your fault." Zinnia pulled him closer and kissed him deeply. "You can move now."

Caressing her cheeks one more time, Brendan began to give in to his whims, yet ever so slowly. He pulled himself back all the way to the tip and then carefully pressed forward, going as deep as he could. He waited a few seconds and then did the same movement again. At each new sequence that he made, Zinnia was less and less showing signs of pain and moaning ever so more in pleasure. At the tenth thrust of his, Brendan started to increase his pace, his hips now hitting against the soft of her bottom. The clapping sounds of their bodies clashing onto one another a bit altered by the moist sounds of her previous orgasm still wetting her legs.

The torture of not being able to let her voice out while Brendan licked her down there was difficult to endure, but to hold her voice now is just impossible for Zinnia. "B-Brenda… Brendan!" She is raising her voice more and more, in the midst of pleasured moans and surprised gasps, she keeps calling his name louder and louder. She knows she can't do that, but how can't she not, taking so much on her, receiving so much love from her lover, her voice has already created a life of its own. As a last resource in her desperate situation, she clawed her hands at the skin of his back, nails going at deep as to draw a line red on him; she pulled Brendan in, locking their lips together in a wild and heated kiss.

As his back stings by her ever-growing scratch on him, Brendan increased the pace of his thrusts, his mind going blank about almost anything else; the only clear thought floating inside is the continuous calling of his name as Zinnia continues to rush the words in between kisses. He felt it coming, his body getting hotter and hotter, is lower body just hammering away without any reprise. Yet he also felt how Zinnia began to thrust by her own, mimicking and matching his pace, her waist squirming under him as if she was on fire. He had to hold on a bit longer, he deepened his kiss by sucking on her tongue and grasping the back of his body with both hands.

Zinnia jolted away from their heated exchange of tongues, she quivered and trembled; she felt a thundering sound coming from within, so as her body released its orgasm a second time, she sunk her teeth onto Brendan's shoulder and screamed against his bleeding skin.

Brendan, felt a sting of pain flaring up above his right arm. This new sensation pushing him over the edge as he leaned his head down, pressing his chin on to her back. He came inside her at the same time as she came because of him.

The strength of his body leaving him, Brendan crashed on top of his lover. Breathing rapidly to take back his breath, he nuzzled against her hair and then kissed her cheek. Zinnia purred quietly under his kiss, feeling so good that she could probably hit her climax again just by his touch and caress. She hummed happily and glanced at him laying at her side, their bodies still connected.

"Brendan…" She called out to him with a sweet as candy voice. "I love you."

He chuckled happily at her words. Brendan pushed himself away from the mattress just enough to look properly at her face. He leaned over and planted two kissed on her lips, running one thumb over her cheek. "I love you more." He said in reply.

The draconid girl giggled and slapped his arm without much force. She then pulled him in a tight embrace and there they stayed for a long time. Enjoying each other, loving each other. For spending time so closely with the one they love, makes everything else worth living.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	29. Nocturne

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Welp, I have been going a little to long without giving a song name for the chapter, so today is a little homage to Legend of Mana._

* * *

"Are you for real?" Spiegel eyed the pair of annoying guys that are stuck at him like glue.

"You bet we are." Ethan replied with a huge grin. With a swoop of his arms, he flashed a set of new clothes he 'obtained' from the locals. "After a few rounds of an odd-looking drink with those friends of hers, they spilled out the whole deal with those celebrations of them." Ethan dangled the white kimono and black pants in front of Spiegel again, his grin even wider. "How amazing am I?"

"Eh…" Spiegel glanced to the now-empty street, seeing that most people are preparing to go all out this night, he noticed one of Flannery's friends. The poor girl is tiptoeing, zigzagging from one way to the other, miraculously not tripping on her own feet as her legs keep crossing in front of each other. "What drink have you forced on them?"

Ethan saw one of his cup companions leaning against the side of a house. "I didn't force anything. They were the ones pushing me to drink that stuff." He held both hands up, pledging his innocence. "Quite good that stuff burns a bit on the end of the throat and… HEY, no changing the topic! Go over there, inside that bathing house and get yourself presentable for this night."

"Last time I checked… eight guys entered that place by the last five minutes." Spiegel threw a dreading stare at the huge building at the north side. "Do I really?" He begged those two with his arms tensed up.

"I hate to break this up to you, lover boy." Max sang in, grinning at Spiegel's antics. "But if you don't want to show to your date reeking of sweat, dirt, and blood. Then, go take a good bath."

"Word of advice, stinking up the place is not a good way to go about it when trying to woo a girl." Ethan grimace, hitting his forehead with one open hand. "Experience talking… please don't ask for details."

"This is dumb." Spiegel cried loudly. "I shouldn't let you two push me into this. Is way too complicated, way too wrong. Forget about all this, I will go somewhere else." He began to storm out, his arms shaking with the nerves. Unfortunately, for him, two pairs of arms grabbed onto his body and held him in place.

"No, you don't!" Ethan spat back, glaring at the scared boy. "No chickening out with me here."

"Spiegel, remember what I told you before." Max said his peace with a bit more tact, putting a bit more care in his words. "Just give it a try. Have some fun, get to know this girl." The blondie saw the peculiar look Spiegel gave him as if saying; I know her. "Jeez give it a rest. Get to know her by your own self. No more sharing stuff with the other you and all that. Ease the burden in that troubled heart of yours."

His breathing slowing down, his startled eyes calming down. "I guess so… I should at least talk with her."

"Finally, you stopped with the whining." Ethan sighed loudly. "Now get your butt inside that boiling pool with thirty other men and get a proper bath." He saw how Spiegel winced at the mention of the location and the company, making Ethan's lips part in a little evil grin. He turned the brown-haired champion towards the bathing house and pushed him forward.

Spiegel sighed heavily, dreading each step he took towards that crowded furnace. He really dislikes to be around crowds, being naked in front of strangers will only make his dislike for the situation ten times worse.

'Why the heck I have to use a public bath.' He frowned at the realization that somehow he was being fooled into doing this.

"I will leave your new clothes at the reception!" Ethan shouted, waving happily at his grumbling new friend.

* * *

"Aahhhh…. This. Is. The. Stuff." A bald old man wheezed in joy as steam grazed against his tired back.

"Hahaha. Shun old-man, you really like to say that, huh?" A young man laughed from his spot next to the heated round-stones. He pulled one wooden bucket from within the running pool of water and poured the steaming water over his spiky dark-blue hair.

"Let an old-man be an old-man." Said old man groaned happily again, letting out a cheery whistle as he sunk his upper body down at the pool.

A ringing sound of laughter echoed inside the hot spring, the younger ones shaking their heads to the old man easygoing manner; while the elders repeated the same joyful sounds as Shun did as he sunk even lower in the waters.

The sound of running shower got everyone's attention. Sure most of the town's men are here already and those that are not present in the public bath are getting prepared in some other form for the night to come.

A mood of anticipation hovered over the entire place. While, yes, it is a bit strange for a group of twenty men to be waiting in anticipation for another guy to show up. However, seeing how much of the male portion of Lavaridge is here, they are eagerly waiting to see who will cross the turn of that doorway.

Feeling way better and lighter after a round on the heated large shower at the stone-made hall. Spiegel took a long breath, brushing his wet hair away from his face. He continued from the mid-way point where he had stopped and walked ever so slowly to the hot spring's entrance.

From the numerous scenarios he has run inside his head even the very silly ones, and those ones are thanks to his stressed nerves, Spiegel could never expect absolute horror show he was about to walk in.

With his first step inside the large pools of heated water, he felt his body froze at the focused gaze of what seems to be a collection of a hundred pair of eyes. He tried to walk to the side, taking sideways steps away from the door, in an attempt to escape their attention. A shiver runs up his spine as their eyes traveled to the side together with his figure.

'I'm going to kill those two.' He promised to himself as he quietly walked over to a lone spot at a corner. Taking a seat in one of the round foggy stones at the edge of the larger pool, Spiegel placed a small bathing brush, a small warm towel, and a bucket it at his side. Imagine his surprise when the house receptionist gave him this little set of tools at the lobby.

He filled the bucket with the heated water, soaking his body wet and starting the whole-brushing process. It would be all good and normal if it were not a million gazes still fixated on him and the now running gossips going about the place in the form of little whispers.

"You have a great physique, young man." One of the elders called out to him, chuckling as Spiegel tried to not turn his head to him. "I have to say, in all my years in the path of a warrior, I never saw a body so defined by hard work as yours are."

"What path of a warrior, Shun?" Another elder cried out loudly. "The only path you have followed these years was the path to the restaurant."

With that, the tension in the room faded away, in an explosion of laughter. For Spiegel's relief, everyone went back to their own business, completely ignoring his presence. Well, almost completely, if it was not for two other guys who stood up and walked next to him.

"Hey, you're Brendan, right?" A young man with green hair gave him a friendly smile. Spiegel recognized him fairly easy, this is the same trainer that was talking with Flannery before, one of the trainers that work in the city gym. "Mind if we take a seat here?" He asked with a pleading little grin.

Spiegel wanted to growl so loud that he would scare those two away. Yet, for some reason that escapes his grasp, he just nodded and made room for them to lay down at his side.

"Man, I have to say. Flannery went on an endless rant when we asked about you." The second young man said in a rather way to fired up excitement. He brushed the large bangs of his black hair away from his eye with a fast sweep of his hand, just for the hair to slide back into place. "I bet you know how Flannery is. I mean, she talks a lot and can be very loud when she is nervous. But today, when we asked about you... My ears still hurt!"

"Hehe, I know, right?" The green-haired one said with a loud chuckle. "Even though she said a lot of words, most as just broken stuff. Kinda funny seeing her like that." He drifted his bright eyes onto Spiegel's form, giving him a funny/curious look. "From where you two know each other?"

"I… beat her in battle, to get the Heat Badge." He said with a little shyness in his voice. "Oh, but we hanged out a couple of times right before I became the champion." He quickly slapped his mouth shut, cursing himself to spitting that out without thinking.

"YOU ARE THE CHAMPION?!" They both shot themselves up into a standing pose, eyes bugging out and mouths agape.

Everyone's attention changed right back at Spiegel. A few 'Oohhs' and silent nods followed those two exalted voices.

"That makes sense!" The green-haired ace clapped his hands together. "I did recognize your face the moment you appeared at the Gym. I just didn't connect the dots before."

"The champion. You're the champion!" Shouted the dark-haired boy, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "Daaamn, Flannery hit the jackpo-" Before he could finish his unfortunate sentence his close friend slapped his mouth shut.

Still holding his friend's mouth, the green-haired trainer let out an embarrassed little laugh. "Well, that explains why Flannery was so giddy while talking about you." He finally let go of the other boy, who glared at him annoyed. "She said, some time ago, that you served as a huge inspiration for her. Saying that you helped her see her right path to be a trainer."

"She said that?" Spiegel gave a curious glance at the pair, receiving a feverous nod from the two. "I am glad… that I was able to be even a little special in her life." He smiled as he took his full bucket again and poured over his head.

"You can bet on that. But come on, with a body like that is hard to not stand out. The poor souls who dated her before looked like a dried stick compared to you." babbled the dark-haired young man again.

Spiegel cringed so hard at the comment, that he began to brush his face to hide from everyone else.

"Roy… please shut up." With the feeling of utter shame, the green-haired boy wanted nothing more than to sink his head on the heated water.

"What's the matter with you, Glenn?" Roy glared at his friend. "I'm just trying to help Flannery here."

"She doesn't need the help of a brick-head like you. Scratch that. With this help of yours, the guy will probably run away by how weirded out he will get." Gleen growled back, baring his teeth at other person. "The more you open that stupid mouth of yours the more damage it does."

As if their jabs at each other served as a starting sparkle, the two trainers began to bicker to no end. Insults and mean looks flew to all sides in what now turned to be a contest of who can help the Gym Leader the most.

"Okay… I think I will finish my bath on that shower outside." Spiegel said loud enough to reach them but still reserved enough to not steal the attention of everybody else again. Yet his words failed to get to Glenn and Roy as those two are spatting words at each other with such intensity that they will take a long time to notice that their target of interest has vanished.

* * *

Spiegel escaped that steamy hell he found himself in as fast as he could. Now dressed in his new clothes. In a pleasant surprise, he felt very comfortable in the soft kimono. Even the wooden sandals, something he imagined would bring some sort of discomfort to his feet; they are actually really cozy and light.

He wandered in the streets now getting livelier by the second as people are already starting to enjoy their celebration in the improvised stalls they lifted in the middle of the town. Looking for a distinct pair, that he is definitely going to have a word with, Spiegel entered the most crowded and livelier stall, his eyes quickly landed on Ethan and Max, both sitting next to a counter with cups in their hands.

"Drinking again?" He tapped the raven-haired man at his back, getting an unfocused hum from him. "What's the matter? Weren't you brimming with excitement a few minutes ago?"

"You happened." Ethan growled back. "You two idiotic kids happened."

"What?" Spiegel looked at him completely lost.

"Blondie here was telling me how you and your stupid other self almost destroyed the world." Ethan gulped his drink in one go, frowning slightly as the hard alcohol hit his throat. "I guess I was too out of myself to not notice… to not feel you two going at it."

Taking the vacant seat at Ethan's left side, Spiegel looked down at the wooden counter and scowled. "That has nothing to do with you." He growled quietly. "We… fought for something important."

"Hell if I care, dumbass!" Ethan turned his head to the side, glaring at the long-haired man at his side. "You have some differences with Brendan? Want to hurt him somehow? Want to make things ugly to prove a point? Then use your hands to do it." Blowing out his anger, Ethan reached for the white bottle in front of Max and filled his cup yet again.

"What are you getting at?" Spiegel was the one now glaring at the golden-eye champion.

At that, Ethan sighed, deeply and long. More than anything else, he feels disappointed. "Don't ever use a legendary Pokémon for something as stupid as that." His voice cooled down a bit, his shoulders slumping down. "They are called LEGENDARY for a reason. They have the power to shape and change the world…" He grabbed Spiegel by his arm and pulled him out of the big tent. "Look at that." He pointed to Mt. Chimney summit, or what used to be the top of the giant mountain; now a mess of malformed rocks. "That is the consequences of a battle of two legendary Pokémon."

Blue glowing eyes stared at the dried lava, Spiegel flinched as he noticed how close it got to the lava to reach Lavaridge, as that frozen sea of dirt and rocks are stuck no more than a few layers above the town. "What… what was a supposed to do?" He asked with a quiet voice. "With him in front of me… with a chance at my grasp, what should I have done?"

Ethan grabbed the younger man's shoulder, his fingers pressing firmly against the tensed muscles. "Kicked his knees, punched his face. Heck, you could've bitten his ear off. But never, I mean never..." At this he pressed, even more, the hold of his hand, making Spiegel hiss and glance at him. "Use a legendary like that again. You're a guardian; you've to be better than that."

Spiegel frowned, looking down to his feet. But then hit him. "What you mean a guardian? I told you, I am not Brendan."

Ethan smiled and smacked his hand onto Spiegel's back. "You have the eyes of a guardian. Trust me, you are one." Despite the harshness of his words from before, the warmth of his friendly ways managed to affect the blue-eyed man deep inside of him.

The way Ethan talks and behave himself with Spiegel, despite the truth of his origin, shows something that moved him in a way he didn't expect. The fact that he nags, reprehend and still gives support; shows that somehow, for a reason Spiegel cannot understand, Ethan cares.

"Just to make this clear. I am still mad with you and Brendan." Ethan frowned again, waving one finger in front of Spiegel. "But I will give you a pass tonight. I can chew your ear off tomorrow or some other day. Tonight, you have a cutie to catch." He tilted his head to the side, pointing with a nod to the incoming red-haired woman walking toward them. "Good luck, friend." With one last friendly jab of his elbow on Spiegel's side, Ethan turned to the other side and walked back inside the stall, joining back with Max on their spot.

If he was not taken aback enough by Ethan gestures from before, he certainly is now as his eyes landed on the shape of his date for the night. His blue eyes found themselves glued to her form, a sparkle of pure interest flashing on them, his mouth trembling with the need to go agape again.

Flannery changed from her usual fiery clothing choices. She is now wearing beautiful white yukata with several pink and red flowers adorning the light silk; her hair is tied in a more tamed ponytail that goes down as far as her waist. Some way, somehow she managed to become even more charming and breathtaking with less of her pale skin showing. Maybe it is how well the yukata draws a perfect figure with the curves of her body.

"Hi, Brendan." She called out to him. Stopping in front of her date, Flannery messed with a strand of hair, taking a quick glance at his form. "You look good with a kimono." He said with a playful tone but still meaning every word.

"Hey…" Spiegel basked his eyes on her for a little bit more, he even noticed the little flowers at the lace of her sandals. Taking his attention back to her blushing face, he smiled. "You look very beautiful."

The thin little line of red that was warming her cheeks, spread all over her face, marking her pale skin with a red tone. Flannery opened her mouth ready to say something else, but stopped and just looked at his face. She smiled and then laughed.

Spiegel took a step back, feeling conscious of something that he doesn't even know. "What did I do?" He asked with frantic tone.

"Sorry, you did nothing wrong. I was just thinking how silly it is for me to be all shy around you now." She wiped some tears of laughter from her eyes, giving him another pure smile. "I am glad that you're here, Brendan. Oh, not only because you saved us… I mean here, now…" She gulped down her hesitation and reached over to his hand. With a tight hold, Flannery pulled him closer and turned around, taking Spiegel with her to a walk.

Their first stop ended up being a little tent next to the Pokémon center. A white-haired woman accompanied by two pre-teens is running a little game store. Her little shop is running two attractions; one is a game of rings as in one of those games where you need to drop the ring inside one of the wooden sticks nailed on a board, and the other one is the traditional plushie fishing with a hand-crafted little rod.

Flannery idea was to just take him there and show him a cool place she knows about, but the glint in her eyes as she looked down at the prizes they are handing here told Spiegel another story.

He chuckled and carefully pulled his hand out of her grip. Seeing that another couple is having their fun at the rings side of the shop, he trailed over to the large bowl filled with sand and the little dolls.

"Heya mister!" The little boy greeted Spiegel with a beaming grin. "Want to take a shot at the fishing game? That will be five bucks." He waved one hand in front of the tall young man, smiling ever so cheerfully.

'Oh, crap…' Spiegel flinched at the innocent little grin of the boy. It dawned on him the tiny little detail that he has zero money. "Five, huh." He said with a restrained little chuckle, the boy giggling back at him waving his hand a little more. Trying to buy time for one excuse to pop-up in his head, Spiegel sunk his right hand at the deep pocket of his black pants. What he didn't expect was to find a rolled stack of money in there. He pressed the papers with his finger some more just to make sure he was not going crazy and then pulled it all out. There are at least a few thousands worth of cash in his hands.

The boy whistled in admiration of the amount, while Flannery just watched from behind with a few giggles escaping her lips.

"Here it is little guy." Spiegel handed the smaller bill he had to the boy, a large sum of one hundred. 'Ethan… I love you so much right now.' He clenched his fist and closed his eyes, an image of a smiling Ethan flashing at the back of his mind.

"Ahn… sir. We just opened the shop. I don't have change for one hundred." The boy said waved the bill in the air.

"Don't worry about the change. You can keep it." Spiegel replied with a goofy grin, leaning in against the counter and preparing himself to the task ahead.

"Really?!" The boy sang in loudly. "You're so cool mister, not caring for money like that." A twinkle sparkled in his tiny greedy eyes as he put the bill inside a small box below the counter. "Here you go." He pulled a thin pole from the ground, handing it over to his now favorite costumer. "I will give you three tries. Good luck, sir."

Taking proper hold of the small twig they used as a rod, Spiegel noticed that the tip is not the normal hook of normal fishing rods, instead the tip is a multi-colored little metal, probably a magnet of sorts. Glancing down to the large bowl, he eyed the different types of little dolls sitting on the sand, most resembling the colors of the plushie prizes standing at the back of the shop.

He looked over to Flannery, making a motion with his head for her to come closer and point to what she wanted. While she did walk next to him, she didn't outright point to anything, just rubbed his arm and smile. Although her eyes would steal glances to a little blue bunny standing alone in of the sides of the prize-shelf.

"The blue one then?" He asked with the chirpiest little grin flowing his lips.

Brimming with confidence, he swung the thin line over the bowl, the magnet the instantly latching onto the blue doll. Feeling as if he was about to burst with joy for his success, Spiegel yanked the pole upwards, already cheering his job well done. The only in his celebration is that the doll escaped the rod just as he pulled the thing up.

"Whaat? I had it!" Spiegel complained, throwing a suspicious glance at the grinning boy.

"You have two more tries, sir." The little imp said back, smiling as if he had done mischief and nobody noticed.

"You have two more tries, mememe." In something that just flew out of him, Spiegel mimicked the boy with a fake child-like voice.

Flannery laughed way too loud at the impersonation, feeling sorry of her date for falling under the boy's tricks.

He took the pole down again, this time carefully placing the magnet on top of the doll. His hand moved slowly, in a wary pace. An inch at a breath, the line going up without taking a single wave of resistance. As the doll was reaching the tip of the bowl, the magnet just plopped and dropped the thing down again.

Spiegel went red, a bit from the flaming rage exploding inside of him, the rest from the embarrassment he is feeling as Flannery laughed again.

'This thing is rigged; I know it is.' He glared at the boy again, the little devil just shrugging and taking his hand up in an innocent act. Letting the fire inside of him cool down a bit or he would swing this stupid rod on the ground, Spiegel took a deep breath and went for his last try.

The initial process was the same, taking the tip of the rod down as carefully as he could. As that infernal thing grabbed on the doll again, he relaxed his arms and pushed the pole down a bit more instead of bringing it up. He pulled the thing to the side, then to the other side, letting the line fall and circle around at the tiny doll's head. Now resuming the second act of his ordeal, Spiegel began to pull the pole up, slowly and patiently. As the doll was getting close to the upper end of the bowl again, the magnet plopped once more, but this time the two rounds of line sitting around the doll's head, tightened up and wrapped itself just enough for him to give one last pull and take that thing out of there.

"HA! Ha ha!" Spiegel cheered triumphally, dangling the blue doll in front of the smirking boy.

"Nice job, sir." The boy took the little doll out of his fishing pole, still grinning away as he walked back to the end of their little shop. "Here it goes, the blue bunny for the winner." He placed the plushie on top of the counter, giving Flannery a thumbs up and a cheeky smile.

Flannery waited for Spiegel to take the bunny and give it to her hands. She gladly accepted the gift and give him back a smile full of tenderness. "Thank you." She said as she hugged her toy tightly against her chest. "You are really good with your hands, that was so cool to watch."

He grinned back, feeling a bit conscious of himself but still very glad that he could win the prize for her. A soft touch grazed against his hand, as the red-haired girl grabbed him again, pulling him away with her to somewhere else.

Going against the flow of people walking to the middle of town, those two escaped behind the trees with Flannery guiding Spiegel on a path he never saw. They walked in silence, but in a good mood just feeling each other presence. Flannery watching carefully her steps as the sun has already set and is really hard to see without a full moon in the sky, Spiegel is watching her back, his mind practically jumping out of his body in a way that he could watch both of them walking together, holding hands.

"We're HERE!" She announced with a little bit of 'exploding Flannery' coming out. Feeling a lot more conscious of her condition with just the two of them here, her red eyes traveled down to the ground. "I found this place when training to be a better me. Just a peaceful and soothing place all to myself… What you think?"

Giving a proper look to his surroundings, Spiegel made sure to examine every point of interest in her special place. While the setting is bit bland, just a clearing in between trees and mountainous ground, the atmosphere here is certainly something different from anything else he has experienced. He can hear just the rustling of the leaves and the low howl of the winds, by this time of the day with the dotting marks already sparkling at the dark sky, this place is starting to feel like something taken out of a piece of art.

"I like it here." He replied with a genuine smile on his lips. "I don't know why, can't really explain properly, but it feels special to be here."

"I KNOW, RIGHT?" She beamed back with a lot of excitement. "Sorry… I really lose control of my voice sometimes. Even though I tried really hard to stop doing that." Playing with her new blue bunny, Flannery took her eyes away from him, turning her head to the opposite of his direction, her ears showing the little of the blush in her face.

"I don't mind. Actually, it would be kind of strange if you didn't yell at me sometimes." He gave her an impish smirk. "Remember that day I was showing you the garden of Ever Grande? People told me they could hear your cheers all the way from the waterfall."

With a playful grin of her own, Flannery jumped at him and smacked his left arm with a soft slap. "That's not true, you dork."

"Maybe." He laughed loudly and she laughed in return. Spiegel looked at her with those glowing blue eyes of his, a certain softness showing in his expression. "But truly, I don't mind your voice. Actually, I find it cute."

"Thanks…" She replied with a meek response. Giving out a content sigh, Flannery sat down, bending her legs together to her right. She looked up to Spiegel and asked him with just her eyes for him to seat at her side, which he did with no delay. "I come to this place all the time, whatever I am feeling sad, nervous or just stressed. It's a little piece of land that feels only mine. It's also where I come to do my best to change."

"Why would you want to change?" He asked.

"Because… Because it is embarrassing the way I talk. Those outbursts… I don't like them." She curled her fingers together. Her eyes going down to the pretty flowers in her yukata. "People make fun of me because of that."

"Then those people are stupid." Spiegel said back with a straight face. "Sure, is a bit surprising for the first time. But that intense way of yours is very charming, I guess it really fits your fiery persona." He took his left hand to hers and pulled one of them out, giving a gentle squeeze. "I am sure that your friends and everybody in Lavaridge know how sweet you truly are. You don't need to change."

Her scarlet eyes staring at him with newfound awe. She smiled, returning the gentle squeeze he gave on her hand. "You're sweet." She said. "Before… I wondered what kind of man you would grow up to be… I never imagined you would turn you so amazing." She chuckled, pressing her free hand against her lips. "I should have known, even at that age you were already something else."

That giggling sound, the soft touch of her hand, and the smell of flowers she has… Everything about this girl is entrancing to him. He wants to badly to lean over and kiss her, the way she is looking at him too is just as if she is expecting him to go and do it. He leaned in, but just for an inch and stopped, biting his lips.

"Flannery… I am not the kind of person you think I am." He said with a dry lump popping in his throat. She looked at him a bit disappointed that he didn't continue to move forward and kiss her. Yet she raised an eyebrow, giving him a curious look. "Maybe, I not the same guy you knew once… Maybe, I am someone else entirely different now."

"You're… different now?" She asked, looking at him with serious eyes. A soft smile parted her lips away; her fingers gave another strong squeeze of his hand, making him look back onto her eyes. "That can be true. However, I still feel the same tug in my chest with you of now, the you that is here. If you changed… I can learn to like this new Brendan too." In the flow of her own words, Flannery leaned in pressing her lips against his in a soft and quick kiss.

The caress of her skin touching his was like a breath of fresh air inside his lungs, a new sparkle of life blooming inside his hurt and a heavy heart. Not noticing that he had closed his eyes as she kissed him, Spiegel opened them up again, taking those two blue gems to her red eyes. The smile on his face is big and warm, but his eyes are still showing a concern, certain distress that he has to make at least a little amends.

"Please… Call me Spiegel." He asked with a pleading glow in his sapphire looking eyes.

"Spiegel?" She repeated with a funny expression on her face. "Okay, Spiegel. Heh, so you changed so much that even your other name is not good anymore?"

"Something like that…" He replied to her giggle with a chuckle of his own. "Thank you, for agreeing to such strange request."

As she was about to respond to his words, Spiegel leaned in, taking one hand to the back of her head and pulling her ever so carefully into another kiss. This time they remained locked together, feeling each other for a longer time. They felt a jolt running through them, a certain sparkle that made the hairs go up. Something so good and enjoyable that would be a shame to break away from each other. Yet, with sad groan coming from both of them, they pulled away again, smiling at they exchanged a long look at each other's eyes.

"We should go back… There still so much I want to show you." She said to him.

He stood up and gave his hand to her, to which Flannery gladly took, for standing up by herself in that yukata would be a little more complicated. "Then let's go. I would love to spend more time with you."

* * *

"How long has he been there?" Asked a gracious looking young maiden. Red deep red eyes staring at the mysterious person how came out of nowhere to help them push Rainbow Rocket away from Rustfurf Tunnel.

"Ever since those creeps went running back to Rustboro." A girl with pink straight hair said back, also not taking her eyes away from the figure of that red-haired man. "Roxanne, shouldn't we talk to him? He has barely interacted with anyone since he got here… He looks so sad."

The Rock-type specialist glanced back at the distressed girl at her side and nodded quietly. Pacing her elegant steps on that dirtied grounds, she walked until she stood behind the red-haired man, clearing her throat as to get his attention. "You should seek shelter inside the cave. The night is getting colder by the minute."

Silver raised his head just enough to give her an annoyed glare. Seeing no point in saying anything back, he just shook his head and brought his eyes back to the purple Poké-Ball sitting in his hands.

Roxanne frowned at his lack of manners; he didn't even say a word back to her even though she came out here for his sake. "Look… hm… you… We're just worried about you. It would be a shame to let someone who saved us get sick if we can prevent it."

"While you're cozying yourselves up in that stupid cave. Your city remains occupied by them, the people who didn't escape in time remains trapped in there." Silver growled loudly, taking his red eyes back to the young woman's startled face. "Sure, go ahead. Hole up on that dank place and have a nice night of sleep."

"Fine, you jerk. Stay out here." Roxanne cried out, her cheeks puffing up at his words. "I hope you catch a cold and die." She spat out in an unlikely outburst, fuming with Silver's behavior. With her arms trembling with anger, she turned around and marched all the way back to their safe haven.

Silver sighed, both in annoyance for having his silence disturbed and in relief as the girl left him alone despite her cursing words at him. He took his eyes to the massive bird sleeping at his side, her golden feather trembling as if she is having a terrible nightmare. "Ethan…" He said in a low voice, a bitter pain in his tone. "Where are you?" He asked in a whisper, getting no response back. "Are you okay?" He pressed his forehead against Lugia's Poké-Ball, a warm wet line dropping from his eyes, dripping down to the round object. "What are you thinking right now?"

Sinking deeper in his sadness, Silver slid right next to Comet, embracing the sleeping Pidgeot in a way to keep her safe.

* * *

"Gwahahaha, that's too much, my chest is about to burst." Ethan's laugh stormed inside the open-air bar, people laughing away with the contagious tune of his voice.

"It's true. Then I went there and said to her: Doesn't this place smells bad?" Max continued telling his outrageous story, the punch-line making Ethan bend forward, slamming his arms against the counter as he continued laughing.

"Haah, hahaha… You're killing me here blondie." Ethan wheezed, his cheeks hurting by how much he has been laughing. "Looker, your partner is the best. He is way too funny."

"Subordinate." Looker corrected Ethan, coughing out a couple of times to make it less awkward. "Ethan, haven't you chugged enough of this beverage? Your eyes are all fuzzy and your face is completely red."

"Nonsense!" Ethan rebuked, the easygoing smile vanishing from his face as he frowned deeply. "We just had two bottles. This is a celebration… a Partê!"

"Yeah, boss. This stuff is light. Don't worry about it, just enjoy the fun." Max, dropping his arm on his drinking companion's shoulder, tried to defend them but he is three times worse than Ethan. His face is not only red as a tomato, but his eyes are all muddy and half-opened.

"Look… Look, blondie!" Ethan pulled Max by his shirt, forcing the drunk man to turn to the left, almost dropping the officer on the ground. Ethan then pointed to a couple walking by themselves on the main street. "He managed to get closer to her, that dog." He chuckled happily as he pointed to the way they are holding each other's hands, trading warm glances with one another and the occasional whispers they share in the most intimacy. "Our boy… he sure grew up fast." In the fourth or so change of mood in a single minute, Ethan wiped the tears in his eyes, feeling touched by the progress of his 'boy'.

Max, who is probably sleeping with open eyes at this point, melted at the scene. He sighed and rubbed one hand in his eyes.

"That's it. No more spicy drinks for you two." Looker in inhuman brutality and complete lack of empathy for those two, took the still half-filled bottle from the long table, hiding next to his feet.

A collective chorus of 'aahhs' and 'ooows' echoed in response. Max hitting his forehead against the counter in sheer disappointment and Ethan clicking his tongue as he finished what was left in his cup.

"This is not fair." The young champion complained.

"Don't complain, young man. You had more than enough already." Looker responded and took a gentle sip from his own cup.

"Not that… I mean, look at him, he is having the best time in the world." Ethan glance at the young couple, now leaning against each other as they both laughed at something. "But what do I get? I scar in the face… Oh god, the scar." He brought one hand to his face, still unable to feel the difference in his skin but winced anyway. "My dashing handsome face is ruined! What I'm supposed to do now? Silver will probably dump me; he loved my face."

Max just groaned, taking his face out of the wooden surface. Looker, on the other hand, spat his drink far high, coughing and hacking as the shock of hearing that almost killed the poor veteran.

"A he, huh? Never knew you swung the other way." Max said with a chirp smirk, taking back on his hand his almost empty cup.

"If you want to put like that, I can swing in any way." Ethan replied with a way to serious voice in contrast to the playfulness of the blond man.

"E-Ethan…" Looker coughed some more, pounding his chest with one hand to make it go away. "This Silver you're talking about… is that Silver, Giovanni's son?"

A squirting noise ringed true once more, now Max is the one hurling his drink down at the floor, his eyes jumping out of their sockets.

"M'yeah… that's the one." Ethan replied normally.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Max shouted from the top of his lungs. He grabbed his drinking companion by the collar of his kimono and began to swing him back and forward. "That guy is not only the kid of the bad guy, he is also crazy himself." Dropping the hold of the fabric of his hands, he let Ethan get out, who got so dizzy by all that back and forward, that he dropped on the floor.

"That ain't true." Ethan protested, raising one finger up; the only problem is that he is pointing his finger at nothing as he can pinpoint exactly where Max is. "Silver is harsh and unfriendly to strangers. But he is cute when you get to know him."

"Cute? Bah, nothing of the sorts." Max spat back. "One time, I met him in a hotel lounge. I thought to myself: Hey isn't that him; and all that. Then I went there to mess with him a little bit, so I pulled the back of his hair, not so strong, just enough to tilt his head." Max frowned, crossing his arms in front of him. "Then, the guy gave me a glare so dark and chilling, I thought he would chop my head out."

"You… pulled… his hair?" The pure anger floating around Ethan's words was enough to wake Max from his drunken laziness.

"Aaahhh, that's it, that's the look!" He pointed down at those glowing golden-eyes, those two blazing gems staring at him with a deadly warning on them. "I will take my leave now. Time to find a nice place with a phone and call my beautiful wife. Bye!" Vanishing with the wind, Max didn't wait for Ethan to find his ground, as most likely would things would have ended in an ugly manner.

"The nerves on that blondie…" Still dizzy and weak in his legs, Ethan slowly crawled his way back to his seat. Now glaring dangerously at the wooden counter in front of him.

Still recovering from the sudden blow, Looker adjusted himself on his chair, wiping the waisted sake on the long table in front of him. "How is he doing?" He asked without the pretense of receiving an answer.

"Silver?" Ethan asked, glancing to the older man. Looker coughed again but nodded his head in affirmation. "As good as one can be with a father like that." He frowned as he answered that. "Despite his shortcomings, Silver is a good person."

"That he is…" Said the old police officer, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am happy that the boy found someone that can see that in him. He deserves a chance to be happy. A son should not pay for the wrongs of his father."

"Let's just pray that he will not change his mind when he sees me like this." Feeling more and more conscious of the closed wound in his cheeks, Ethan rubbed his face again, frowning deeply as he imagined what the red-haired will say when he sees this.

Looker chuckled at the little panic attack the young champion is having. Patting the youngster on the back, the old man did his best to ease his racing mind. Not that anything will get Ethan's mind away from that, at least not anytime soon.

* * *

The faint click of the doorknob turning got Brendan's attention. He saw his girlfriend entering the room wrapped around a large white towel and nothing more. "So, how bad it was?" He gave her a playful grin, tapping the surface of his mattress at his right side.

"I don't anyone saw me." Zinnia gave a quick glance to the closed door behind her, checking if no one was really coming. "You're a cruel man, you know that?" She whined, stepping over to his single bed. "You could've gone with me."

Brendan chuckled and then laughed. "Sure, because two people sneaking on the hallway is easier to pass than just one, right?" With an affectionate tug of her left arm, he pulled his lover close to him, feeling the wetness of her skin pressing against him.

"Jerk." She said back with a playful grin on her lips. Turning her head to the side, she pulled him closer and stole a soft kiss.

" **Mur!"** Aster complained with a low cry, the poor pink-ball was just sleeping beside Brendan, until Zinnia almost pushed her out of the bed.

"You know, I've been thinking of cutting my hair tomorrow." He ran one hand on the now uneven length on his long hair. "Think you could help me with that?"

"Why? I like your hair long, is so pretty." She cried latching her arms around his neck, nuzzling her cheeks against the hair she loves so much.

"Zinnia… some strands burned yesterday. The whole thing is strange and uneven." He pushed her away from his neck with little force. She still is giving him big pleading eyes, with a little pout on her lips. "If you really dislike the after, I will let grow up again. Is that okay?" He asked, rubbing the small of her back from under the towel.

"Fine… I will cut your hair tomorrow." She gave in with a low sigh. "But, I will cut exactly like it used to be when we first met."

"I can live with that." He replied and she squealed in delight. "Zinnia…" He called out her name with a calm voice, running his thumb on her cheek. "I want to give something to you."

Her eyes sparkled with life, her lips parting in a huge smile. Zinnia clapped her hands and sat down in front of her boyfriend, an exhilarating expectation taking over her. She watched closely as Brendan moved to the edge of his bed and took something from the nightstand.

"I want you… to have this." He said putting a pure white Poké-Ball on top of her lap.

Tilting her head to the side, Zinnia took her 'present' in her hands and looked back at Brendan. "What is this?" She asked confused.

" **Nice to make acquaintances with you, Lorekeeper."** The deep ringing voice of Rayquaza echoed inside her head.

Startled to no end, Zinnia yelped loudly and tossed the Poké-Ball in the air. "WHAT'S THAT?!" She stared at Brendan's red eyes, with her own eyes almost jumping out of her sockets. "Someone… was talking, INSIDE MY HEAD!"

Brendan chuckled at the reaction he expected from her. He scooted closer to her and picked the Poké-Ball back from the sheets, once again placing it on her hands. "Please, don't drop it on the ground. I don't want him to explode my house."

Looking down at the freakish thing on her hands, Zinnia smiled a little frightened but didn't fling the thing to the closest wall. "H-Hi… Who is there?" She asked, looking up to the ceiling; her boyfriend pressing one hand at his lips to hold his laugh.

" **Your kind knows me very well, Lorekeeper. As so do you."** Rayquaza spoke again, this time letting his voice flow a bit more calmly and soothing inside her mind. **"My name is Rayquaza, Keeper of Hoenn."**

"Ra-Rayquaza?!" Zinnia glanced at Brendan, her eyes sparkling with awe. "I can hear you… Your voice is so… different from what I imagined…" Looking down at the Poké-Ball, she heard the dragon hum and then it clicked on her mind. "You're giving to me? But, this not right. I mean, this is not for someone like me."

"Someone like you?" Brendan looked at her with a raised brow. "Zinnia, I want you to keep a hold of him for me. I need you to do this for me."

" **This exchange was already discussed between us."** Rayquaza said his piece of mind in the matter, trying to reassure the draconid woman.

"But… why?" She asked, clenching her hold on the white ball.

 **"Hoenn's guardian has a job to do."** The dragon king jumped in. but now his intervention made Brendan frown and click his tongue.

"Peace of mind, that's why." Brendan answered for himself, getting closer to Zinnia and kissing her forehead. "Please…" He pleaded with glowing eyes.

"Okay… I don't like this… your tone and what he said too…" Zinnia looked down and pressed herself against him.

"Thank you…" He kissed her forehead again, this time he smiled in relief. "Oh, I have something else for you too."

Now, instead of jumping with joy like the first time, Zinnia just stared at him with a worried face.

Brendan chuckled and pulled himself away from his lover. "Give me your hand, please." Still not feeling very sure about this, Zinnia did as he asked and took her left hand to his. "I am returning this for you." Brendan said placing a little green stone in her hands. She was about to say something but he shook his head, asking her to wait. "Aster come say hello to mommy."

Aster jumped on her feet, slowly walking over to her two parents. She looked up to Zinnia and dangled her body back and forward happily.

" **Hello, mommy."** She said just as Brendan asked her to.

The moment her tiny little voice reached Zinnia's ears, the black-haired woman broke in tears. "Aster. Aster!" She called her little girl's name, hugging the little Pokémon with all affection that she as for her. "You're talking; my little girl is talking with me."

" **Mommy, you can understand me!"** Aster cried out happily, pressing her little body tighter on Zinnia's body.

"Oh Aster, we have so much to talk about." Zinnia looked upwards to the grinning Brendan staring at them, her tears getting out of control as she noticed how happy he looks, how happy she feels. She took Aster in her arms and went over to Brendan, getting a big family hug with all three. "Thank you, Brendan. Thank you so much."

Brendan just hummed back to her teary words, he continued to embrace those two, letting them bond even more, despite the huge burden that ability puts on him. Brendan stepped aside to give enough room for those two to chat away, his hand still hugging Zinnia's left hand. The overjoyed girl not realizing the blinding glow flowing from the little object that she holds.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	30. You Found Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

A light breeze puffed from above, the light sensation grazing on the bare skin of Spiegel's exposed arms. He purred with content as his body relaxed at the cooling sensation.

"Mmhh… so tender." The young brown-haired man whispered in the low hush of his breathing. He nuzzled closer to his target of affection, his barely open eyes taking a smile-like form as they traveled on the length of those scarlet strands of hair. He pressed his hand on the soft of her arms and then smiled. "Flannery." Feeling brave and bold in his action, Spiegel edged closer, lips puffing out and eyes closing, ready for the contact.

A pair of strong hands halted the young trainer in his trails; a firm grasp like unbelievable firm and strong grasp. Spiegel hissed a bit in pain as the skin of his arms tingled with the grinding of those fingers against him.

"Come on, champ… I like you, but this is a stretch." A groggy, deep and male voice ringed true. The sound of this voice making Spiegel freeze and his eyes shot open. "Good morning, kissing-hopper." Ethan said with a little grin on his lips.

With the blue morning sky as a witness, the two of them are lying with the backs on the ground, the place where they slept after their adventure last night. Spiegel at first didn't notice, but in the effect of his delusional heated dream, he was holding and pinching at Ethan's body; and well, his left cheek is resting on the golden-eyed champion's arm.

"AAAARRRGGGH! W-WH-WAWAWA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Startled, desperate and embarrassed to no end, Spiegel jumped from their improvised grassy bed, his blue eyes trembling at the grinning form of his new friend.

Eyeing Spiegel with a neutral expression yet still holding a smug grin, Ethan shrugged. "You were the one cuddling me."

"NO, NO! WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" Spiegel shot his arms to the air, still shivering from the warm sensation of Ethan's body.

"Guys… Please… not so loud." Max growled lowly, his lazy voice sounding out at the blond officer rolled to the side angrily.

Hearing a voice that is not coming from his involuntary human pillow, Spiegel relaxed even for a little bit. He darted his eyes to the right side, taking a proper look at Max sleeping peacefully on the ground. Taking his field of vision a tad bit more to the side, he saw even more people lying on the ground, a heavy/drunk sleep conquering their senses.

"See, nothing too outrageous happened." Ethan said with a chirp. "Relax man, we just slept here after all that… well, all of that." The raven-haired boy pulled his upper body up, his head pounding with the consequences of his reckless drinking, he hissed and frowned, holding his forehead with one hand. "These people know how to party, jeez…"

Feeling the terrified rush leave his body, Spiegel fell with his bottom on the grass, his hands still shaking though. "Seriously, Ethan… What happened? I remember my time with Flannery and all the places we went together, but then we met with you in that large tent and then… nothing…. I can't remember."

"That happens, when you try to defeat a champion in a drinking contest." Ethan hissed, pressing his fingers against his forehead, but still chuckling and grinning. "That was fun; you even had your own cheering fan. Cutie just kept clapping and giggling at your futile attempt to overthrow me."

Spiegel sighed, letting his upper body fall on the grass. He stared at the sky, smiling at the retelling of their contest. "You sure I didn't beat you?" His lips parting in a smug little smile as he asked that.

"I'm afraid you lost terribly. Your legs went all mushy after the second cup." Ethan let out a quiet little laugh, waving one hand at the other boy. "For someone so boisterous, you're quite the lightweight with alcohol."

"Yeah, yeah… Whatever…" Spiegel waved his arms back, getting a short glimpse of Ethan's forehead as he tried to look down. "I… liked it." He said with a warm happy hum. "I'm glad you two talked me into giving her a chance. Well… give me a chance."

"Nice date last night?" Ethan eyed down to grinning silly, he himself grinning at Spiegel's antics. "I told you would like cutie, she looks very funny and enjoyable to be around."

"To tell the truth… I loved it." Spiegel pulled himself up, taking his blue eyes to Ethan's golden glowing gems. "Every minute I spent with Flannery last night… I loved all of it."

"Say, Spiegel… Don't take this personally but I need to ask you something." Ethan cleared his throat, looking slightly discomforted at his own starting sentence. His golden gaze traveled away from his friend's form, taking a gander to the clear blue sky of this somewhat chilling morning. "You had… you got close with that girl, Zinnia, right?"

Spiegel's carefree smile died down, his chin falling down to his chest as his eyes got deflated of their previous joy. "How do you…" He asked, his voice coming out low and cold.

At the slight confirmation of his previous suspicions, Ethan sighed tiredly. "So that was you… damn, man… A pink-haired girl, looking all cutesy and sparkly, went after Brendan for a quick chat in that place he likes to hang out in Ever Grande. Anyway, she just babbled something I couldn't hear, but she made sure to leave a little present for him; a small disk."

"Pink hair and sparkly. That sounds like that girl I met after..." Biting his lower lip, he choked the words down, making Ethan raise a brow at his quirky reaction. "Violet, that description matches that evil person's looks."

"Evil… that's one way to put it." Ethan scoffed, brushing the locks of hair that has fallen in front of his eyes. "I whisked that disk away before Brendan could've seen the real little present that was inside." Shuffling a bit uncomfortably in his spot, Ethan took his eyes back to his friend, giving him a serious look. "I don't how or if you noticed it at the time. But she recorded a video of you and that Zinnia… well, having sex under the shadows of a large tree."

If he was not startled enough before, now Spiegel is completely dazed, furious and ashamed in some degree. He jumped from his spot, glaring down to Ethan but not really at him. "How she managed to do that? I-I… No one was there but us…" He clenched his teeth, closing his eyes and forming a tight fist with his right hand. "She was going to show that to Brendan… Why?"

"To stir trouble? Make the big stepping stone in their path crack and breaks?" He looked up, trying to gauge Spiegel's reactions. "I don't know Brendan for that long, but the guy has a little trouble with temper, even more so when the trigger is jealousy." In the glow of his golden eyes, a little glint of interest, a little twisted curiosity, flashed on as he opened his mouth again. "If she had her way, maybe the two of them would have broken off. Brendan would be a mess and your path clear…"

"And have Zinnia's feelings crushed? Get a chance at the expenses of her heart getting broken?" Spiegel spat back, this time his heated glare fully directed at Ethan. "I would choose ten times over to let Brendan stay with her than just make her life miserable like that."

A bright grin crossed Ethan's face as he gave Spiegel a pair of eye-smiles. "You're a good kid, Spiegel." He said with a teasing but friendly tone. "Okay, let's change the conversation to something less grim and aggravating. So, you and cutie, huh? I have to say, you guys looked very close at the end of the night."

Spiegel's frown died out, his lips parting in a little content smile. However, just as his expression had cheered up, his frown came back and his bottom went crashing down on the grass again.

"Hey… What's the matter? Just a minute ago you were all fluffy about your date and this girl." Ethan asked with a worried voice.

"What I am doing here Ethan?" He asked, pressing both hands against the upper part of his face. "She is amazing and funny… but this is not for me. Flannery she is… too much for someone like me."

"Seriously? Do you have an emotional switch inside of you or something?" Ethan is the one frowning now, shaking his head incredulous at the constant shift in moods of the other boy. "I can't answer something like that, stupid as it is. She is the only one that can say if you're good enough or not. The same way you decided that she is great. And from what I saw last night she was very content with the 'you package'."

"The 'Brendan package'." Spiegel retorted back, spreading his fingers in a way that his blue eyes could stare right back at Ethan. "She thinks that I am him. Sure, I asked her to call me by my name, but she probably took it as a joke or something of the sort. The fact remains, that she thinks that she had a date with Brendan, the oh so perfect champion of Hoenn… Not his crazy and twisted clone."

"Tell her the truth then." Ethan responded simply, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Remember what we told you yesterday." He casually pointed to himself and to the blacked-out officer on the ground. "The man who was here for her, that man was you. The person she had a great time yesterday with, that wasn't Brendan that was you. She might look at you funny at the first moment, that's true… But if this is to happen, this thing between you two, she will understand."

"Ethan… this is not as simple as; Hey Flannery, you know I dyed my hair and this is not the original color." He sighed deeply. "I am… different than normal. How will she look at me if she knows that?" He bit both lips with enough strength in his teeth to draw a faint line of red. "What if she knows that I am… a monst-"

"Stop!" A plank-palm latched on Spiegel's mouth, making his last word come out as nothing more as muffled sounds. "You're not a monster! Take that crap out of your mind, Jeez…" Ethan jumped onto his feet, stretching his arms up and long, letting a content yawn escape his lips. "Before long everyone will be up and about the place, a shame too, this place looks magical in this silent morning." He eyed his surroundings, mostly ignoring any person or Pokémon he caught in his gaze, totally focused on the aesthetic of this cozy little town. "Care to join me for a walk?" He brought his full attention back to Spiegel, giving the other boy a hand for support and a bright smile to go along with his offer.

Spiegel looked at the hand extended in front of him and then up to the grinning boy in front of him. He shook his head slightly, grinning back as his grim concerns floated out of his mind. "Why the heck not." He grabbed Ethan's hand and pulled himself up.

Following the lead of the golden-eyed trainer, the two of them wandered past the limits of Lavaridge town. While Ethan whistled lowly in a happy tune, Spiegel noticed a familiar path to their right, the path he went in with Flannery last night, and for a moment, he wondered if Ethan was aware of the place. However, his mind rested at ease as they continued to move to the other way, the little trail of dirt between the grass getting further and further behind their route.

Ethan slowly his pace enough to let Spiegel get at his side, his golden gaze shifting in a cautious manner to the boy's blue eyes. "Sorry for being blunt and all that, but I have to ask. How?" He asked with seriousness, his expression betraying no sight of hesitation on him.

While his question did give away much, no much than one word, Spiegel understood completely what he meant. He frowned, taking his gaze away from Ethan. Just thinking about this made him very uncomfortable, it is a painful subject, but it still is his reality. "I don't know." Was the first and truthful response coming out of the brown-haired boy. For a moment, he considered stopping just at that, but the eagerness on those golden eyes made him waver.

Ethan is a strange person, he is goofy and easygoing, yet he hides a ruthless seriousness inside of him that manages to catch anyone by surprise. Still, despite his quirks, Spiegel doesn't dislike him; far from it. In the span of a day, the odd champion managed to befriend him and even help with his predicaments. A rare person indeed.

Spiegel clicked his tongue and then sighed. Running his right hand on his forehead, he pushed his brown bangs out of his eye's line of sight. "I… Before being Spiegel, this person you see in front of you. I was something else." He scratched his nape, a cold shiver ruining up his spine as the words flooded out from his mouth. "They named me Deoxys, the Pokémon from space. All that I remember from before is fighting Rayquaza on the dark beyond and dying. How it happened or why, I don't know. But for some reason, I woke up with this body, with these memories… I had awakened as Brendan, almost drowning inside a flooded base."

Pressing his thumb and another finger against his chin, Ethan just stared at Spiegel as the blue-eyed boy told his tale. Not a shred of doubt showing in his golden eyes. He stood there, watching Spiegel in silence for a few moments, his lack of words and reactions making the other trainer very wary of himself, distressed by what he could say.

"Deoxys, huh…" Ethan said, still serious and quiet. "I heard that name from Professor Elm a few years ago, so that was you."

"So, you believe me? Really?" Spiegel is now the one staring at Ethan curious eyes. "Even I have trouble believing that some times, but you took everything as true that easily?"

"You're not lying, I can tell. What's more, you said that you woke up inside a flooded base. _Their_ base, I assume." Ethan scoffed and shook his head as he said 'Their', his gaze never traveling too far away from Spiegel's face. "Coming from Giovanni, anything is possible. And adding your story to the pile just makes me one hundred percent sure about someone else too."

"That's it? Another story to the pile?" Spiegel frowned slightly. While he was dreading the thought of his new friend being outraged and repulsed by the truth, he couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lack of more appropriate response, he was not able to even get a look of disbelief from the other man.

"Don't take this in the wrong way." Ethan grinned, raising one hand in apology. "What you told me is fantastic, I mean, in the sense of impossible magical stuff fantastic. But, as much as I want to picture you as a floating tentacle menace, I can just see you, the dork who forgot he had no money as he went in his date." Spiegel rolled his eyes, taking one hand to his face to hide his embarrassment, just to enjoyment of his friend. "Anyway, I appreciate it. You telling me the truth and all that."

"Don't sweat about it." Taking one hand to his mouth, he coughed to cover his shyness. "Just consider this as a token of appreciation… for everything…" He trotted forward, making sure do take his face away from Ethan's point of view, but still, even without seeing his face, Spiegel can still feel the smirk on the boy's features.

Quietly stopping his steps, Ethan watched as Spiegel walked a few more paces forward. He closed his eyes and ran one hand in the back of his head. "If that is the case, I guess I owe you a token of appreciation myself. You did save me from that less than fortunate situation I was in."

Taking a short side-glance back at the golden-haired boy, Spiegel stopped and sighed. "You don't have to."

"But I want to do it." He sighed, deeply as if some hidden frustration and exhaustion were escaping through his lips. "Say, you have all of Brendan's old memories, right? For any chance, you knew about me?" As his words came out of his mouth so did his right slapped against his face. "What is up with serious talks and my inability to speak properly? Anyway, have you known me through… you know, fame or gossips?"

"Eeerh… I guess?" Spiegel turned on his heels, giving his friend an odd look. "Let me think… Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that story about you and Red." He noticed the shudder and jolt pushing Ethan's shoulders up as he heard that. "And of course, with that, the amusing tittle you got as the strongest trainer in the world. Not a fair tittle I have to say… How can you be considered the strongest if I've never battled against you?"

"Hah! I will take you on that at a later time." A sonorous laugh echoed as Ethan walked forward and slapped Spiegel on the arm. "You hit the mark in that first mention of yours. Red… Aarh…. freaking Red. Sometimes I curse the day I met that guy."

"You do?" Spiegel's blue eyes clearly show his surprise at Ethan's words. "Red is considered legendary by so many. In a way he is even more mysterious and mythical than Kyogre."

"Exactly... The famous legendary Red. A trainer without equal, the target of gossips and awe by everybody." A light scoff came out as Ethan frowned and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Guess what, he found his match. I beat him, I… won. But what does that make me? The guy who bested Red, that is it." Once again, his vexation, an annoyance buried deep inside the young champion's heart flushed out in his account.

"I don't get it... Beating Red, that makes you the strongest. Shouldn't you be happy about it?"

"The merit of beating him overshadows my own person. Nobody cares who I am, really. They just hang themselves to the fact that I interacted with Red." A sarcastic snort escaped his lips, as his façade broke down to a depressed mockery of his expressions. "I wonder if I lost to someone right now, would that person call themselves the trainer who won against the guy who defeated Red?"

Countless words rushed to the tip of his tongue, even his arm rise up and went forward onto Ethan's direction. Yet, Spiegel said nothing. He just watched quietly, frowning as if he was feeling his friend's anger and frustration himself.

"In a way, that is my punishment." Ethan exhaled deeply, his feet taking him closer to a nearby large tree as his head hung low. His right fist explodes against the sturdy old trunk, leaves rocking up and down from their branches as his blow echoed inside the old tree. "Nothing can stand firm in the foundations of a lie."

Spiegel's brows jerked up with interested, and while he feels a bit ashamed of somewhat ignoring Ethan's distressed mood, he cannot help but wonder what lie would that be.

"Forgive my weirdness. Hearing you talk about your problems made me want to share a few of my own problems as well." Letting his chest go back to its rhythmical pace of rising and lowering, Ethan calmed himself, taking his eyes back to the non-existent road. "Let's press forward with a bit of haste. We still have a lot of ground to cover before we get there."

Spiegel hummed quietly and began to follow Ethan's pace again, then he stopped and tilted his head as he looked at his friend's back. "Get where? I never heard of a 'walk' that had a destination… Where exactly are we going, Ethan?"

Ethan did a half spin, chuckling quietly as he noticed the suspicious glare he was receiving from the other boy. He smiled and pointed behind, over his shoulder with his right thumb. "To Rustboro, of course." His declaration came out as the most obvious thing in the world, despite him having not said a word about it before. "Oh, you did bring your Pokémon team with you, right? I wouldn't want you to miss all the fun." While Ethan tried to play his most innocent act as he waved Spiegel to come with him, the crooked smirk on his lips gave away his smugness.

"Even with all the laughs and then the serious talk that makes you look so relatable, you're still a sly bastard, aren't you?" Spiegel laughed at his own naivety, he slapped his forehead as in a memento to never trust someone, especially Ethan, so blindly. "Why are we charging right to a thief infested place, in ceremonial clothes no less, with just the two of us?"

"Because we can take it." Ethan replied normally, still looking at Spiegel's blue wary eyes. "Sure, I got myself thwacked for my cockiness last time, happens from time to time. However, now there are two of us and… and, I am reeaaaaally pissed off."

To say that Spiegel looked nervous and uncertain about this whole ordeal is an understatement. Even if his gaze never left the one coming from those golden eyes, his fingers are curled tight in a trembling fist with his arms stiff as if they were made out of wood.

Ethan sighed, taking one hand to the back of his hand as he looked down. "If this is about cutie, don't bother being angry. As soon as she wakes up, she will know that you didn't just bail out on her." He glanced upwards and noticed the ever-confused expression on Spiegel's face, he couldn't help himself but grin with a bit of friendly malice. "You don't remember about the letter either, do you?"

The little breeze grazing the woods in the morning suddenly felt like a full-blown blizzard at Spiegel's skin. He froze in place, eyes open and mouth trembling shut. "What… Letter...?"

"Hahah. Man, you really should not drink." Ethan turned around; arms crossed behind his head. "Hehehe, to think you wrote such a passionate text without the coherence to remember about it. What a legend." Getting back at his fast pace of steps, Ethan got back in his tracks; but now he is walking while whistle and hum happily.

"WHAT LETTER, ETHAN?!" Spiegel jolted after the raven-haired boy, arms flailing in the air. "Stop walking and answer me, dammit!"

* * *

Tiptoeing across the empty hallway of his house, Brendan made his way from the bathroom to the living room, holding his breath as he passed by his parents' room, just to make sure he would not wake anyone.

Silly of him for even thinking that on his father part, since Norman was the one who taught him on the martial ways, and the old master is the earliest of birds to wake up in the morning. Truth to that, Brendan found his father standing in front of the counter that separates the kitchen from the living room.

"That is a nostalgic sight." Norman commented with his stern voice, a tiny little grin creeping in on his serious face.

Brendan took noticed to where his father is looking, which prompted him to take one hand and scratch the back of his head, grazing slowly on his new haircut. "Wanted to try something new… I guess it would be old/new, but yeah."

"The smaller length, it suits you best. Although, your mother will complain about the change." His father chuckled behind one hand. "She was rather fond of your long hair, talked about it all day when she saw it the first time."

A low clicking sound got Norman's attention, he drifted himself away from the counter over to one of the cabinets. Taking two mugs in his hands and placing them at the side, he took the steaming coffee jar out of the machine and poured it on the mugs, one for him and the other for his son. He brought both together with him to the large wooden table in the living room, setting one in front of a free chair, and taking the other with him to the head of the table.

Accepting his father's invitation, Brendan sat down on the chair and took the heated mug of coffee on his hand. "Dad, I need to talk to you. Deep down, this is not something that I wanted to share or even think about. But it is not fair for me to let you in the dark."

Norman just raised a brow at that, not saying a word back as he waited in silence for Brendan to continue.

"Yesterday, that was the first day I saw you and mom after the years you went away. Two days ago, I had no idea you two were back in Hoenn or that I had a sister." He looked down at the colorless vapor coming out of his coffee, watching its peaceful rising to try and find some comfort for himself. The heat of the mug prickling the skin of his finger with enough pain, that forced Brendan to leave it down at the table again. "Gosh, this is so hard and strange to say."

"The Brendan we met months ago, that was not you." Norman said with an unpreoccupied tone, his words startling Brendan with the surprise. The old master saw the look of 'how did you know' on the face of his son, so he raised a hand to stop him before he could ask. "If I said that I noticed from his behavior, that would be a lie. That person, he was like you in… everything." Norman allowed himself to a soft smile, closing his eyes as he remembered about that day. "That night, I heard a strange noise coming from Birch's lab, so I went outside. Letting the shadow of the night cover me, I followed Wally to the woods and there I watched their exchange; That boy, he looked lost, pained and focused in a bad idea." He brought his eyes to Brendan, his question coming in the form of that glance and not words.

"He found me and we fought… that was bad, pretty bad. He is not dead though." Brendan glanced down to his mug again, watching the steady flow of steam doing little to take away his frown. "Does mom knows about this?" His gaze drifted up slowly towards Norman's face and the older man just shook his head.

"It is not my place to share this with her, but don't tarry too long to tell her. She is air-headed and easygoing but she is not stupid." Norman sipped on his cup, hissing quietly when he failed to noticed how hot the liquid still is.

"I will. I don't like to lie to her as much as I don't like to lie to you. Still, I cannot trouble her with something so confusing in a time like this." A long tired sigh escaped his lips, the younger man taking his mug back in his hand but not raising it up to his lips. "First I will gather with everyone in Ever Grande, the League is preparing every trainer they can to help. And while this Rainbow Rocket Team had the upper hand in their attack, I am more than confident that we can push them out of every little place they had sunk their fangs in."

Norman watched his son in his speech; he carefully studied the boy's expression, his body language and even the tone of his voice. Proud washed the old master from the inside, he trained Brendan as harshly as he could, he pushed Brendan far past his limits even worse than what he did with Wally. Still, the growth of this man in front of him, how much mature he sound now compared to before, is nothing but outstanding.

A quiet hum came from Norman; he nodded with a small pleasant smile on his lips. "This is troublesome times. So many places have fallen to their hands, from little towns to the biggest of cities." He growled in exasperation, a rare thing for the composed master to do. "I watched in first-hand the brutality of their ways."

"Petalburg?" Brendan asked already knowing the answer, but Norman still nodded in response. "Even Littleroot… And I was not here to do anything."

"No one can blame you of not expecting a criminal assault on such a large scale, nevertheless in such a small town as our Littleroot." Norman retorted back glancing at his son with serious eyes. "Brendan, it doesn't matter what you did or not did on the past. Put your focus on what you can do in the present." He hummed as if agreeing with himself. Crossing both arms in front of his chest. Norman took his eyes up, staring at the ceiling but with his mind wandering to somewhere else. "Petalburg, Littleroot… They tried to rob people of their freedom and failed. Yet there are places where they succeed." Once again, an angry growl came from the old master, a deeper frown appearing on his features. "From what I heard, Mauville City got sieged twice as hard as Petalburg. But Rustboro… the news coming from there are the worse of any other city."

The rustling sound of wood shifting and then hitting the ground came alive, as Brendan jumped from his seat with his eyes wide as saucers. "Rustboro! Goddammit, how could I forget?" He turned around and dashed back to his room. His previous concern from noises had all but disappeared from his mind, as his steps echo as loud as a crazed alarm.

In the most rarities of scenes, Norman is looking startled and somewhat scared from Brendan's reactions. He watched as his son went back to the hallway, but decided to wait for him right here in the hopes that the boy would not just jump from the window of his bedroom.

Brendan appeared on the hall again, his pace faster than before. Zinnia who looks just lost and dazed from sleep, appeared on the door too but did not walk past it, she thought of going after him but the only thing covering her body right now is the white sheets wrapped up around her.

"Brendan!" Norman called as his son stepped inside the living room, the boy is livid and terrified at the same time.

The young champion jolted his head back to his father, his red eyes glowing as never before as panic is all but consuming his entire being. "I need to go, now." He slammed his hand against the wall, cursing loudly even in the presence of his father. "Mr. Stone, he… He is still there in Rustboro. How could I forget about him? Steven is going to kill me." Letting out a loud growl akin to a raging beast, Brendan stormed out of the house. His haste being so much that he even forgot to close the door behind him. Not only that, Brendan forgot to change the shirt of his sleeping clothes, he forgot to put his socks before he put his shoes on. He might as well have forgotten what kind of red he is seeing the world right now.

Fighting with the white cotton wrapping itself around her legs, Zinnia wiggled her way into the living room, her eyes looking everywhere for Brendan but only finding a trouble Norman staring at the open door. "Brendan?" She asked the older man.

Norman took his eyes to the almost naked girl, to which he chooses to ignore that situation of hers, and then he sighed. He sighed deeply as he pushed his mug of coffee away from him. "Trouble has found its way back to my son." Zinnia looked puzzled and extremely confused by his words, something that made Norman sigh again.

* * *

With the chirping sound of the birds and the warming sunlight touching the pale skin of her belly, Flannery stirs on her bed with a little yawn escaping her soft lips. She turned to the side, facing the intruding sun, her eyes slowly going up to the window and the view of outside. Little bits and parts of last night coming to her mind, his words, his cute silliness and even his smile dancing around her thoughts. She squealed and giggled, spinning happily around her mattress.

Doing that for more than ten minutes, the fiery Gym-Leader finally decided to grace the floor with the sole of her feet. She went to the bathroom to wash her teeth, humming happily while she was at it. Then she skedaddled to her kitchen with the biggest smile on her lips. In a way or another, she could not take his face away from her mind.

"And he is just outside too." She mused to herself, a daring little mischief popping on her head. What bad could it do, right?

Flannery decided to steal a free glance on Brendan, or like he asked her to call him, Spiegel. She tiptoed towards the living room of her home, going as slow and quiet as possible to not alert the boy who is probably sleeping on the grass thanks to his drunkenness of last night. A silly concern of hers in truth, as if she was trotting away inside her house, no one outside would be able to hear her.

Nevertheless, the fact that she is alone in the house didn't push her away from her skilled sneaking tactics. That is until her eyes landed on a folded piece of paper lying in front of her front door.

She kneeled down and took the interesting looking note in her hands. To her surprise, it was not just a note, but a folded letter wrapped inside a colorful envelope with all kinds of little Pokémon pictures living up the edges.

'From a stupid guy to an amazing girl' It reads on the front of the envelope.

Flannery giggled, her cheeks getting a warm tint of red on them. It seems the surprises with Brendan are not ending so soon.

With all the care in the world, she peeled the envelope open and took the letter in her hands. Before taking her eyes to a single word written in there, she made sure to fold that cute envelope and put it in a safe place.

Letter in hands and sat on her favorite chair, Flannery took a long breath, expectation filling her chest with giddy feelings. Smiling like a silly little girl, she unwrapped the folded paper, finally peeking inside of it.

_Flannery, our time yesterday meant so much to me, so much so that I need to put my mind in order, my thoughts in a paper or else my heart will explode._

_Recently, I found myself doubting my place in this world. So much pain, so many bad things happening around me… I lost sight of hope._

_With my heart broken and reason almost slipping away from my grasp, I decided to wander aimlessly and follow the first person that called to me._

_Funny thinking about it now. I came to Lavaridge on my lowest, hating everything around me. Then, a strange girl jumped on me, out of nowhere a girl found me._

_You found me._

_My word… this must be looking so corny right now. We met just a few hours ago and here I am going about such deep stuff. Well, I mean it._

_Yes, you didn't read it wrong nor did I misspelled it. We first met yesterday. I asked you to call me Spiegel because that is who I am. I am not Brendan, I once maybe had been part of him, not anymore._

_I am sorry for not telling you this in the first moment, but I was not in the right place in my mind. This secret, I will share with you, if you choose to._

_Again, I enjoyed your company and the time we spent together. Even if you choose to never speak with me again, I am glad to have met you. I am glad to have seen your smile, to hear your cute giggles._

_Most of all, I am thankful. I am thankful that a crazy girl jumped at me, hugged me out of nowhere, she cried against my shoulder. A fiery goddess that turned to ashes the evil lurking inside of me._

_Thank you, Flannery. You saved me from myself._

Flannery folded the letter back into the tiny piece of paper that came out of the envelope. She looked down at it, stunned if anything else. This was unexpected, intense and somewhat weird. For a crush and an enjoyable night date, things took a fast turn, a way to fast turn with how strangely deep his letter looks.

The young Gym-Leader found herself on the edge of two hard choices. Brendan… Spiegel is clearly broken, despite how youthful he sounded and looked last night. To take someone like that closer invites a lot more than just cuddling and lovingly times, she knows that, she has seen that before. Still, in his best that he showed her in their date, he was so cute, funny, smart and so much more.

Flannery sighed, pressing her fingers on the soft paper in her hands. Does she want to be with him so much that she would endure the heavy burden inside of him, the burden that he spoken so openly in his own words?

'I want to try…' She bit her lower lip, thinking about their alone time in her special spot, the sweet sensation of their quick kiss still lingering in the tip of her lips. "I will try." She stood up from her chair and darted to her room.

In true Flannery fashion, the girl hurled herself on the monster pile of clothes in her wardrobe. Putting on the best set of casual but still charming clothes that she owns; a pair of long jeans almost the same as she was using yesterday and a buttoned dark grey shirt. Flannery rushed back to the bathroom, arranging her trademark hairstyle and washing her face a second time to look even better.

Broken, whole or lost. It does not matter to her. Flannery will get to know this boy and then she will decide. With that clear plan in mind, the fiery trainer of Lavaridge went to her front door, a sparkling smile on her lips.

The clicking sound of the doorknob turning announced her departure. Silence befell the house as the girl went forward on her quest. Sitting on top of the chair, the little piece of paper rustle by itself, little by little unfolding itself but just slightly. Pieces and bits of the words making themselves apparent as more and more of the letter opened itself; the little rays of sunlight dancing in slowly but surely, going on in the patience little pace of the morning sun.

In a point, the letter stopped unfolding, and the rays of light stopped going forward. It stopped almost as if intentionally on top of just a piece of text. The little glow faint, pretty and colorful; this little glow shining on top of a little sentence and nothing more, the glow marking the words: _You found me._

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	31. Super Duper Castle of Fun

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Boy... this is the longest chapter so far. I just started with a simple idea and then... I just know that when I woke up, I had 20 pages of stuff written on it._

* * *

Ethan jumped in the middle of the avenue; he shot his arms upwards, puffing his chest as he draws a long breath. "Goooood morning, gorgeous!" His voice stormed the spacious area around him, a huge smile on his lips. Sadly, his beaming happiness faded slowly as he noticed that his grand entrance or awesome return has a surprising amount of zero people. "This place is as huge as I remember, a bit roughed up and somewhat burned on some buildings… But where is everyone?" He cast a questioning gaze back to his traveling companion.

The young doppelganger shrugged, his eyes rolling upwards as he felt a bit of cringe from his friend's increasingly eccentricity. "Maybe they are waiting to ambush us." Spiegel shook his head, thinking of the dozens of criminal members who are probably watching them from the shadows. He wonders if they are just as surprised by Ethan's show or if that is just him.

"Really? Hundreds of them skulking behind some houses?" The look in Ethan's face is nothing more than pure disappointment. "Sheesh, what can a person do to get a proper battle." Waving his hand to Spiegel, Ethan walked inside Rustboro city, his shoulders deflated and his eyes staring at nothing more than the ruined street.

A depressed Ethan and a silent Spiegel made their way across the creepily abandoned street. They crossed various streets, some corners, and even the small-town square; sadly, the shining fountain in the middle is mostly ruined, as it is the small flower garden around it.

At every little stop that they made to study their surroundings and odd places, Spiegel noticed a small shift on Ethan's features and behavior. While brazing the path forward, he looks strong and fearless. However, when they stopped; Ethan always distanced himself from his companion, taking one of his hands to the surface of a wall or ruined wreckage on his way. His eyes flinching slightly, his expression falling into a sudden dark coldness.

Spiegel though to reach one hand to his friend and ask if he was okay. However, just as he made his mind to act, Ethan turned to him flashing a confident and simple grin. It happened like that every time, and they continued to travel in silence until they reached one of the largest buildings of Rustboro at the western edge of the city.

"This is weird…" Ethan raised the question, his gaze scaling up the impressive size of the hospital. "Every single spot of this city is marked with their touch… a bit of destruction showing at every house and buildings. Yet, this one is completely fine... Untouched even."

"Don't know. Maybe even they have enough empathy to not attack a hospital." Spiegel scoffed at his own words, he didn't needed an unbelieving look from Ethan but he received it anyway.

"Sure, Spiegel. Our friends who put an entire town on fire not too long ago, just now found their hearts to not attack the sick and infirm." Shaking his head at the ludicrous idea of Giovanni looking out for innocent people, Ethan stepped aside ignoring, for now, the silent hospital in front of them. "Can you wait here for a second?" He asked Spiegel.

Quirking his brow up just a bit, Spiegel glanced at him and nodded. He watched quietly as Ethan walked away, back to the path they just crossed, then turning and vanishing on a corner. Spiegel drifted his attention towards the hospital, its windows blackened. The place strangely quiet and dark, being basically impossible to glance inside, be by one of the windows or the glass made double doors.

He approached the place with an attentive precaution; he pressed one hand against the hard glass. Even in his touch, not a single ray of light appeared on the large square window. A loose and distant sound came from inside, not little much than a drop of water on the ground, but enough to tingle his sensitive hearing. He swallowed hard, his heart going almost twice as fast.

A drop of cold sweat slid from his forehead, the little transparent line making him shiver as it grazed his skin. 'Ethan is right… what is wrong with this place?' Spiegel wondered. He looked behind him, no Ethan in sight still. So, he pressed his ears against the glass, looking for that small sound again.

He waited and waited, nothing came. A bit of impatience getting over his calm exterior, so Spiegel pressed his entire body against the cold surface. Then an explosive gush of wind erupted from behind him, dust and rock flying everywhere. Spiegel jumped from his spot, arms high and firm. The brown-haired boy startled but posing ready to counter anything.

Brendan straightened his back, his hands pushing against Latios' body. His red eyes scanned the place, going from the ruined houses at his left to the cracked floor under him. He grimaces, clenching his fists and getting ready to curse. He opened his house, a powerful scream surging up from his lungs, and then his body froze.

Blue met Red, Ruby glow staring at Sapphire blue. Brendan jumped down on the street and tapped his friend softly on the side, to which Latios cried out, and flew away. They continued to stare at each other, nothing breaking away their line of sight, not even for a split moment.

"Jeez, they raided the stores too. Took me a while to find…" Ethan stopped, his golden eyes meeting Brendan's red eyes and then traveling to Spiegel's form. "Seeing double again? What was in that sake they gave me?" He said playfully, a little chuckle following right after.

His words, while little appreciated by neither of them, served to break their trance. Brendan turning a half circle to look at the golden-eyed champion. "Hey, Ethan." Brendan said with a polite grin.

"Hey there, champ." Ethan replied with an even bigger grin. "If you came here to tackle on the rainbow menace, they are not here anymore."

"They're gone?" Brendan replied right back. He looks surprised, confused and most of all, relieved. His eyes going back to the hospital, his uneasiness coming right back.

"We checked every corner of Rustboro, not a single sign of Rainbow Rocket." Spiegel rubbed his back, taking his eyes away from Brendan. "Although, we didn't check any interiors for them or bystanders."

"We… huh?" Brendan said, looking back at Ethan, the friendly boy just shrugged and smiled again.

"Got to know your second face over there. He is a cool guy." Ethan said, pointing to Spiegel. He managed to tease both of them at the same time. "Look, man. I have a lot to talk about, with both of you. But now, I have to do something else… something really important."

"You're leaving? Where are we going?" Spiegel asked.

"Not where… When." Ethan frowned and sighed. "Never mind that, I need to go and I need to do this alone. And because of that, I am glad that you showed up, Brendan." He saw his other friend tilting his brow at him, he has his mouth half-open as if he wanted to speak something but hesitating to do so. "Sorry, friend." He looked to Spiegel again. "Where I am going, you can't follow. However, I will be back here in an hour, two max. You can stick with him while I am gone."

Spiegel and Brendan both stepped forward furiously, ready to protest. Ethan laughed at their mirrored action, equal at even their breathing.

"Brendan has come here for something; the look in his eyes betrays him way too much." Ethan reasoned, hands waving in front of him. "You can help him for a bit. It will do everyone a lot of good, you two talking. Talking! No funny business like trashing the continent with legendary beasts."

Brendan just scoffed. He glanced at his other self, waiting for the same reaction or even something worse. Yet…

"Fine." Spiegel conceded, messing with his long hair behind his head.

Ethan flashed him a bright smile, giving the thumbs up. "I trust you can behave. If not for anything special, just do it for cutie." He outright laughed loudly as Spiegel went red in the face, turning away in embarrassment.

Ethan brought his thumb and another finger to his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he whistled out. The sound he made was unbelievable loud, piercing every little corner of Rustboro; loud enough to make Brendan and Spiegel wince uncomfortably. Smiling at his friends' reactions, Ethan took one hand to his pants' back pocket, pulling out a small packaged of Pokémon candy.

" **Bi…"** A faint little voice echoed in the wake of Ethan's booming whistle. The golden-eyed champion turned his attention to where this voice came from.

"See you two later." He waved one hand at the two and walked away, dangling the plastic bag in his hand.

As soon as Ethan left them behind, the awkward silence set right back in. They stared at each other, throwing daggers at each glance, but no words were traded between them.

Taking a different approach to everything else they had done before, Brendan just stepped forward. He ignored his doppelganger, eyes fully focused on the dark building as he trailed to it.

"Lost something inside?" Spiegel asked with a little sarcastic tone.

Brendan stopped, in a coincidence, right next to Spiegel. He sighed and looked at the boy's blue eyes. "Mr. Stone." He felt a little relief in his chest when he noticed the look of terror on his twin's face. "He's still inside, or I think he is… praying that he is still in there and safe somehow."

Spiegel frowned; he spun around to face the double doors. Even if it is a correct thought to have, Steven is his dear friend… even if is just in his head and memories. He didn't say anything, he didn't needed to. His gaze traveled to Brendan's face, he nodded and Brendan nodded back.

In a silent agreement, both Brendans stepped forward, pushing the doors open. Leaving the deserted city behind them, the young champions dared to enter the deep darkness inside this place.

Little did they knew that this darkness is not oblivious to their presence. Little do they know that the walls have eyes and ears. By stepping inside this abyss devoid of light, they have entered a living nightmare.

* * *

Ethan walked far away from those two, getting enough distance to feel himself get stared at by the chilling silence of the ghost city. Ever the cautious and skeptic person, he gave a glance to the way he came, waiting a few moments to see if he could hear anything follow his steps. As no sign of life made is presence know, he pulled the candy bag open and took one of the little colorful balls onto his right hand.

"You can come out now." He said, looking to the left and right. "Come on little friend, we are alone." His eyes searched for a little green Pokémon in the small cracks all around but found nothing. Until a lightweight pressed the top of his head, two little green feet dangling in front of his forehead.

" **Ciao, Ethan."** A child-like voice ringed from the little Pokémon, its big blue eyes staring at the destruction around them; the scene making its little body shiver. **"I don't like it here… Can we go away?"**

Ethan brought his hands up, taking his shivering little friend in his arms. "I don't like this either, but it was not always like this. Bad people did this, they took away the happiness from this place." Celebi eyed her big friend, her blue eyes mindfully watching as the trainer spoke.

" **Can we make it go away?"** Celebi pointed to the desolated street, her antennas twitching with expectation. **"Will you beat the bad people? Like you did last time?"**

"That's the plan." Ethan replied with a short grin. He placed the little candy ball on Celebi's hands, just to watch his small friend make a little cry of delight. "Repelling evil is one of my jobs, right? But I need to do something first. I have to find someone and I need your help to do it."

Celebi diverted her round blue eyes away from the candy ball, giving Ethan a curious glance. **"With what?"** Celebi asked, going right back to chew the treat.

"I have to see what happened here." Ethan said with a bit of hesitation, knowing that Celebi may look innocent and gullible, but she is quite smart and fast to pick up on the underlines.

" **He will be mad again."** Celebi said with a little voice, curling down into a ball, still chewing the candy. **"I don't want to see him again."** She puffed her cheeks, glaring down at nothing. **"Ho-Oh is a meanie."**

"If he asks, I will take the blame." Ethan petted Celebi's head, her eyes closing in joy. "Please, Celebi. This person… is important to me." The flash of a short story he once heard crossed Ethan's mind, he shuffled in hits spot a bit strangely and cleared his throat. "I need to find Silver."

Her blue round eyes grew even bigger, a silly grin crossing her tiny mouth. **"I remember that name. The kind red-haired person from Ilex Forest, he gave me lots of candy when we met."**

Ethan smiled, caressed the top of her head even more. He took another candy ball and gave it to Celebi, the small Pokémon crying out happily as she grabbed the sweet ball. "I am happy that you also know that part of him, although that makes me a little jealous of you since I only peeled his tough act just recently."

Celebi shifted her attention back to Ethan, her little hands still playing with the candy. **"Okay… I will help you."** She said quietly. Ethan beamed with happiness at her words and Celebi smiled just as happily by seeing him like that. **"How long back are we going?"**

"Half a day. We can start from last night, then we can cover all the ground until now." Ethan said in reply.

Celebi nodded and her antennas began to shine with a strange light. She curled down on Ethan's arms, embracing her little treat close to her body. Ethan gulped hard; he closed his eyes as the same excruciating sensation from years ago flared around his members. A hard, transparent cocoon-like sphere enveloped the young trainer, seizing his body up in the air. The light from Celebi's antennas grew and consumed the sphere's insides into a show of blinding flash.

With a muffled sound akin to a drop of water falling into a half-full bucket, the sphere disappeared, Ethan and Celebi went with it. After their departure, the corner where they once stood went back to its dreadful silence.

* * *

Brendan flinched as the door closed behind them with enough force to burst the glass into pieces, yet it remained intact. He stared at the massive lounge incredulous. Despite the hungry darkness surrounding everything, he can see bits of the location and this place looks nothing like the hospital he used to visit at least twice a week to check on his best friend's father.

First, he stared at the main staircase to the second floor, clenching his eyes to properly see inside that gloom. While the base and the structure still remain in the same location as before, the stairs are curved and trailing DOWN, not upwards.

As impossible as it looks, the staircase to the next floor, the second floor just above, is now a spiraling mess going down to an inexistent under level.

Brendan rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to wipe away the hallucination. Yet as he glanced back to the staircase, the thing still is pointing down. "Have I lost my mind or those steps are going down?" He raised his voice, almost forgetting that someone is standing at his side.

Spiegel hummed; he looks as baffled as his twin is. "Not only that, look at the ceiling." He stepped forward and pointed to the absurdity above them.

With his red eyes following the other boy's raised arm, Brendan stared at the ceiling, he felt his blood going cold. The thing that was supposed to be two stores tall, is now standing as far as the moon itself. Not only that, the peak of the building where it was supposed to be its ceiling, is now a mass of swirling black, ever-flowing towards its center where a massive red eye is staring right back down at them.

Brendan felt tiny under the gaze of that sharp pupil, a crawling sensation creeping on the edges of his arms. "Something is wrong here…" He said in a rushed breath.

"You don't say… Quite the observant, aren't we?" Spiegel retorted right back, still a mocking tone present in his words. "What the fuck is that?"

Glaring angrily at his not so polite twin, Brendan forgot about the fey space encroaching on them at each beat of their hearts.

Then a piercing ray of light flashed from nowhere, truly nowhere. It came from above, but it didn't reach the whirlpool of darkness surrounding that red ginormous eye, yet it was high enough to make a big cleared circle on the oozing floor. A high-pitched sound echoed, followed by a radio-like static, soon a voice sounded from everywhere.

"Hellooo! Welcome to my castle of dreams and delights." The unmistakable voice of Violet and her sparkly persona flooded in. Spiegel scowling and clenching his fist at the recognition of her annoying voice. "To tell the truth, I didn't expect to see both of you here and at the same time even. Hihi, is so surprising to see that you two made peace already… touching." She faked a little cry on her microphone or whatever she is using to speak. "ANYWAY! This unexpected turn of events will just make this more enjoyable, for all of us." Some of her vile venom spilled out in her last words, her true colors quickly coming to light.

"What is going on here?" Brendan stepped next to Spiegel. Without knowing where to look as he talks, he just stared at that monstrous red eye. "Who are you?"

Spiegel frowned and looked to the other side. He was ready to put his twin in the loop of who is this detestable creature, but her loud giggles muted him.

"I am glad that you asked, Brendan." Violet said back, her voice getting eerier by the second. "Knowing that you forgot a special prize here in Rustboro. I had my useless minions transform this place into the perfect little party, just for you." She giggled again, the rustling of clothes sounding clear on the microphone; whatever she is doing… is disturbing to hear.

Brendan stomped one of his feet on the ground, the sound echoing louder than her soft devilish giggles. "Where is Mr. Stone? What did you do with him?" He shouted his question at the red eye.

"I did nothing! So cruel of you to accuse a cute girl like me of doing something bad, you cruel petty man." She faked her sobs again, just to laugh right after. "The geezer is right here with me, peacefully resting on the finish line… Look, he is blushing, hahah." Again, those unsettling sounds of her clothes gridding against her skin echoed out.

"Don't listen to her." Spiegel called out to Brendan. He tried to reach his twin's arm, but he flinched as the arm pulled away.

"Nah-ah. I wouldn't recommend that. I went into a lot of trouble to prepare this… don't make me angry right at the beginning." Violet said back, her voice directed to Spiegel. "Anyway," Her charming cutesy voice coming right back. "Here is the deal, my handsome contestants. You two are standing at the start of my lovely maze of wonders and the game is this; You need to reach the finish line before I slit the geezer's throat out of boredom." Faintly, behind her crazed breathing, both Brendan and Spiegel could hear Joseph Stone's muffled voice, his pleas sounding a lot more desperate than his stern persona usually is like.

At her threats, Brendan assumed exact mirror features of his other-self. Furious, disgusted and unsettled. His fists clenched as if he is ready to punch this girl in the face.

"Go on, what are you waiting for?" Violet cried out. "Please explore this lovely place and all of its surprises to the full extent. I will be watching you." She giggled and sent them a kiss, the sound of her lips pressing against the microphone almost leaving those two deaf.

Brendan raged onwards, staring intensely at the ledge of the second floor. He reached with one hand inside his pockets, grabbing one of his Poké-Balls.

"Don't!" Spiegel shouted, holding Brendan's arm in place. "You heard her if you break her twisted little game… Mr. Stone will be the one paying the price."

The static sound echoing around again, announcing Violet's voice coming. "Your twisted, evil, disgusting, dumb clone is completely right. Don't be a naughty boy, Brendan. Violet will not like that."

"Crazy bitch…" Spiegel rolled his eyes, his cursing coming out as a lost whisper behind his breathing. If Violet has heard him or not, she made no reaction to it, while Brendan glanced back to his twin. "What?" Spiegel said to Brendan. "She is."

Brendan scoffed, gazing away from his twin. Where Spiegel though he has managed to grit on his other self's nerves again, the red-eyed boy just turned away to hid a little smile that crept upon his lips.

"Any ideas?" Brendan commented. The young champion taking a gander at the devastated reception desk. He picked a broken mug on his hand, a purple murk dripping from the cracks of the top part going all the way down to the base, after frowning in repulsion, he placed the item back in its spot.

"Mr. Stone condition, how was he the last time you saw him?" Spiegel asked.

"He was well, considering everything. He is awake and being treated to walk properly again. You know, being in a coma made his muscles weak and paired with his age…" Brendan felt his tongue loose out, he was reading to a long rant but Spiegel raised a hand to stop him.

"If he still in bed, then this finish line is most likely in his room or a place where would fit a bed." The blue-eyed boy sighed; he rubbed his nose with two fingers in a thinking manner. "That is if she is to be trusted about his condition…"

"Doesn't matter. Whatever his condition is, wherever he is. We need to find him." With his words coming out, Brendan gave Spiegel a simple nod.

That nod, no, just being treated normally by this person made a strong impression on the blue-eyed trainer. For someone he hated most of his short life up until now, for a person he saw as nothing more as an annoying stone in his way… Brendan's friendly tone sounded like the sweetest song Spiegel has ever heard.

"Aa… yeah…" He turned away, hiding the little glint in his eyes. "Let's storm this place."

They both chuckled and pressed on the haunted building. Spiegel focusing on the left side of the hall, while Brendan is on the most right one, pressing his hands against every wall he finds in his way.

While the blue-eyed one found his searching less than interesting in all that darkness, Brendan had little luck on that part. As he trailed his hand at the dump surface at his side, a small round hole literally manifested itself on the path of his touch. Without being able to distinguish the hole from just shadows, Brendan jammed his right hand inside the thing, the wall instantly pressing itself back around his limb.

A startled cry echoed from the red-eyed boy, his alarmed voice making his twin jump scared and run over to him.

"What's wrong?" Spiegel called out as he stepped behind Brendan.

"My arm… It's, garh, it's stuck!" Brendan pulled his entire body's weight back, trying to force himself away from that position. "A strange hole appeared out of nowhere and sucked my hand in."

To Brendan's strange surprise, Spiegel is showing to be twice as disturbed as himself. The longhaired trainer tugged at his twin's arm, doing an urgent effort to take the other boy away from the way. He pulled and pulled, only stopping when Brendan winced in pain.

"I can't get you out." Spiegel cried out in frustration. "Dammit, why won't it get loose?" He cursed loudly as his hand pressed against the same wall. Fully aware of how stupid this might look, Spiegel pulled his right arm behind his chest height; he took a long breath and punched the wall with all his might.

Despite the ridiculousness of his effort, the hole gaped itself open. A muffled cry echoing inside the room.

Brendan in his continuous effort to get out went rolling back at the ground as his arms flew away from the little opening. "I am out!" He chirped gladly.

Spiegel looked down at his hand, the feeling on his knuckle very different from what he expected. He punched a solid wall with all his strength, desperation forcing him to not hold anything back, yet he felt just a soft tingling at the impact. Not the harsh and dry pain he expected to flow his senses, but a fluffy tug as if he tackled a pillow.

"This wall…" Spiegel looked back to the spot where he hit. No holes in there, the normal surface coming back as if had never left. So he got closer, close enough to hear a low murmur coming from inside. "There's some-"

A massive black hand exploded from the wall. This shadow limb tackling Spiegel on the floor. A heavy fog descended from above, circling around the blue-eyed boy.

"The hell?! Get away from me!" Spiegel cried from inside the encircling nebula.

"Oi! What's happening?!" Brendan jumped on his feet. He jumped against the little storm happening in front of him, but his body got summarily bounced back to the floor. "Hey! Can you hear me? Hey!"

A strangled scream ringed from within. It's clear as the inexistent sunlight that Spiegel was not the one screaming, but someone else, something else.

Spiegel gasped loudly, the sound of his nails gridding against the floor was as painful as the sensation on the tip of his fingers. "Stay the f- Aaaaaaahhh" This time, Spiegel was the one screaming, his voice getting farther away quickly and abruptly, then a ravishing sound of boxes breaking exploded from bellow. The pocket-sized cyclone fading into nothing, the fog getting sucked back to the void from above.

Even in his shock, Brendan swiftly jumped inside the area where Spiegel had been jailed. However, in his effort, the red-eyed trainer could only see the marking of a big hole circling itself close again after swallowing its victim.

"Oi… Spiegel, can you hear me?" Brendan slapped the floor, his flat hand smacking the cold surface. "Spiegel!"

Static ringed true once more, the annoying little prelude to one of Violet's comments. "Looks like our first participant has fallen to one of our ingenious traps." She laughed in evil delight. "Is he alive?" She gasped, clearly with a fake tone of worry. "Of course he is, hihihi. The fun has barely started."

Brendan glanced upwards, the frown on his features fierce enough to twist his normal looks. "This is fun for you? The fuck is wrong with you?"

"Are you sure you got time to play tough?" Violet's voice turned into its evil form again, the vile practically dripping at each word. "Let's continue the show, pretty boy."

A swirling dark light erupted from the other end of the hall. Shadows flooding everything around the windows next to the exit door, that black mess of mud shaping itself into a terrifying form. It crawling onto of itself, a massive body taking form as a malformed head slithered into the air.

Red chilling eyes, sparkling brighter than Brendan's red gems of eyes. They stared at him, measuring him, seizing the distance between them. A monstrous hoar exploded inside the entry hall, the shadowy monster charging towards Brendan.

His entire body shivered at that sight. Brendan turned around and ran faster than ever in his life as he tried to reach to the inner hall of the first floor. He was fast, but the monster is twice as fast, its serpentine-like body getting in front of the entrance seconds before the boy could reach it. Sharp fangs flashed into the dark, those evil red eyes shining with increasing menace as the monster pounced.

Brendan slid down below that terrifying head. He swears that his chest clashed against the beast's body, but he felt nothing as he passed by it. In his evade, the young trainer managed to get clear access inside the inner hall, his heart beating like ongoing alarm. He ran and ran, his feet slamming against the floor as the echo guided his way into even worse darkness.

He doesn't want to, he really doesn't want to look behind him. But his head turned as if it had a will of its own. In that little peek at his trail he saw the monster no more than a door space behind him, every hair on his body jolted at the sight of those black fangs baring at him.

" **Brendan, Stop!"** An inner voice called out to Brendan. The always-familiar voice of Groudon echoed inside his mind.

"Are… you… INSANE?!" Brendan shouted his thoughts loudly. "If I stop, I am dead."

" **Just stop running. Trust me, Brendan."** Groudon pressed on, his persistence showing a strange calmness in his tone.

'Aarrhhh, fuck it.' Brendan stomped the floor in front of him, his body coming to a forced halt. He turned to the other direction with a messy rapid movement, his gaze going right at those dreading eyes.

The shadow beast pounced at him again, fangs at ready to rip his body into a bloody mess. Somewhat regretting what he was asked by the molten titan, Brendan closed his eyes and waited for his end.

Nothing happened.

Brendan opened his eyes again; the massive monster disappeared into nothingness, not a single trace of that thing lingering about.

" **I don't know what is happening with your mind. But you're being afflicted by hallucinations."** Groudon said calmly. **"You and that other… and him. You both started to yell and scream, stare into an empty room and then talking about stuff that is not there. The disturbance has awakened me from my slumber."**

"Wait… wait, you can't see this?" Brendan pointed to… everywhere around him. "This darkness, the gooey walls and that freaking scaring monster?"

" **You're currently standing on a very messy but abandoned hallway."** Groudon spoke again. **"There is no darkness to be seen as those windows at the top of the wall to your right are radiating with the sunlight."**

"You're saying that I am imagining this stuff?" He scoffed, not very receptive to the news. "Then what happened to Spiegel back there? He just vanished. Did I imagine that too?"

" **That boy got dragged down into a black hole. How? I cannot say.** **Yet, I presume that the wicked host of this 'game' has control of these events."**

To give his legs a proper rest, Brendan slid his back against the wall and slammed his bottom against the floor. Both of his hands went up to his face as he mulled over his own thoughts. "Groudon." He called out the red titan, who made a low growl inside his head to make his presence felt again. "Am I awake right now?"

" **Yes."**

Brendan sighed, a bad habit that he has developed over the past weeks. "Great…" He jumped back on his feet, turning right back to the way he dashed from.

" **Aren't you going to ask?"** Groudon curiously said. **"I can tell you what your eyes can't see."**

After a moment of consideration, Brendan shook his head slowly. "That monster, it scared the crap out of me. But he was not real, even while terrified I could not feel it. This?!" He ran his hand against the greasy mark on the wall, the sticky liquid getting on his hand. "This thing I can feel. I pray to everything that is good that this may be a poop joke on this girl's part, because if it is not…"

Groudon staid silent, not even an acknowledging grunt coming from him. The titan's silence making Brendan way more uncomfortable than he already was. A horrible feeling twisting his stomach, a feeling that what is staining his fingers right now may be…

Rattling noises of metallic objects falling on the floor echoed from behind him, Brendan's body jolting and turning to see the source. From one of the service rooms at the side, a door slowly squeaked open, the sound as terrifying as knife running against a wall. Blackened fingers grabbed the edge of the door, slowly pushing it open with its maddening tune.

A shadow, this time a figure as tall as an adult person, crept into the hallway. This creature pulled itself away from the hold on the door, the lack of stability on its posture making this thing fall face flat on the ground. It squirmed, limbs quivering softly as they looked for support. This shadow-person got back on its knee and then back on its feet, red eyes as evil and sparkly as that other monster, stared at Brendan as if it was peeking at his soul.

" _D…Die…"_ The creature spoke. In one of its crooked hand, a shining sharp object flashed in the darkness. A single messy step forced this shadow forward, then another one, the thing getting closer and closer to Brendan.

The sickening feeling inside in his guts just got worse. Brendan wanted to turn around and run as fast as he could, as farther away as he could get from this place. But he stood his ground, glaring impatiently at the creeping shadow. "It's not real… Get yourself together, Brendan." He whispered like a mantra, his body trembling the closer that thing got to him.

" _D-D-D-D… DIE!"_ A screeching sound escaped the creature's blackened mouth, its arm swinging back and then forward, aiming its shining weapon at the boy's face.

" **BRENDAN MOVE!"** Groudon shouted from within.

The primal's panicked voice forced Brendan to jump back, his reaction though not fast enough to dodge the end of that blade. His instincts made him trash his right arm upwards as to guard his face, and thankfully for it, the tip of that small knife only managed to tear a cut on his shirt and draw a line of blood on his skin.

Brendan lost his breath at the realization of how real that weapon felt, how real this thing in front of him is. However, he got little time to think about this as this creature jumped at him again, swinging its knife in a wild arc. Again, Brendan dodged a full hit by that cutting edge, but this time his belly was the one getting a new scratch. He gritted his teeth in anger, annoyance. As that monster made a movement to jump at him again, Brendan took two steps to the side, letting this shadowy arm hit the air in front of him and then his right fist exploded against the shadow's face.

A painful cry echoed around his ear, a woman's voice whimpering in fear and pain as that shadow rolled away from him. As that messy of a body stopped against an abandoned cart, it just stood there, not movement no attempts to get up. Just a low sobbing and terrified groans.

The radio static coming back, now paired with a low siren. "And he scores!" Violet chirped with a happy voice. "That was amazing, Brendan. So, you do know martial arts, that was so cool… Ahh, I am falling in love. But ouch, what a punch. Let's ask our volunteer what she thought of that, shall we?"

Following the crazy girl's laughter, a spot of light shined upon the shadow monster, the blackness around its body sipping away slowly. Soon, the darkened silhouetted covering that body vanished, revealing one of the nurses sobbing on the floor.

Brendan's face fell to the floor, his blood went cold as he stared at the poor young woman, her face a mess of tears and ruined make-up. He ran over to her side, kneeling next to her. "I am sorry, I am so sorry… Are you okay? Can you hear me?" He tried to rub her arm to give some comfort, but his touch sent the woman into a panic spasm.

"Please, stay away from me. Please!" She curled into a ball, crying heavily as he rubbed the already forming lump on her left cheek. "Please… I just want to go home…"

Brendan gritted his teeth, a furious scowl appearing on his face. His blood that was cold now flared up into a boiling rage. "You're sick." He growled quietly, even so his voice made the nurse shiver and whimper.

The light spot faded away, but the nurse remained there in her normal form, the illusion cast over her, now completely dispelled. "Oh thank you, you're sick too." Violet giggled at her microphone. "Now, now. Back to the game, we wouldn't want to keep all the guests waiting for you, would we? Oh, sorry, yeah. A friendly remember, I would not go punching everything you see in your way. You never know when you're going to cave in the nose of a poor old lady."

In the echoes of that twisted person's laughter. Brendan took his long shirt out and placed it over the poor crying woman. She didn't jerk the clothing right away but made no sign of taking comfort with it either. A saddened growl escaped the young champion's mouth, there is nothing he can do for her now, the only thing he can do is stop this madness. With that in mind, Brendan stood up and stepped forward. He once more dared to venture into the darkness.

* * *

" **Does it hurt?"** Kyogre asked, his question receiving only silence. **"At least compress the wound."**

Step by step, Spiegel continued to march forward on his way inside the almost silent hallway. A dripping sound is the only company to the boy's walk, his right leg stained with three lines of blood going down from his thigh. He pressed forward, limping, grunting painfully, but he did not stop. Not to breathe and not to talk.

" **Boy, don't ignore me!"** Kyogre roared from inside, his voice raging and reaching, yet to no avail. **"Spiegel, listen to my voice."**

The blue titan continued to curse, continued to call, but his guardian made no sign that he would respond. However, that is not the boys' fault. He cannot hear Kyogre, he cannot feel the jolting sensations searing inside of him; His eyes half-open, the blue gaze of those sapphire gloom and out of their usual sparkle.

"Where is this?" Spiegel finally uttered some words. He stopped at the sight of an open door. His gaze falling on more of those strange shadows that attacked him before, these ones also carrying a makeshift weapon. "More of them…" He growled in clear frustration, his fist still tingling with the sensation of the punches he dished before.

"Die…" One of the shadows crept up from the floor, arms ready to attack.

Spiegel limped closer to the door, snarling at the shadowy figure. "You wanna go at it again?" He spat at the incoming monster. "Then let's do it you freak!" He stomped inside the room, the wounded leg stinging at the heavy step, but he didn't stop.

From behind Spiegel, another arm reached in; longer, faster and fiercer. A rocket punch soared in and plunged the silhouette far back into a corner.

The blue eyed-boy jerked to the side, mouth wide open and gaze startled as it could get. To add to his surprise, the figure standing behind him was as dark as the one that got punched, no, even darker. He tried to spin and attack his newcomer too, but that reaching arm was faster, tackling him at his side, sending him spiraling right in the middle of the room.

He gasped; spit flying from his mouth as his back crashed down against the hard surface. As soon as his pain dulled, his eyes shot back up to the door, watching as that taller monster walked inside. "A-another one?" He said, pressing one arm to his abdomen.

"Another one, no. Not another one." The shadow spoke, clear as any other person would. This thing stepped inside, slamming the door close behind it. "What a pathetic little sight. Look at you! Bleeding, on the ground, panting like a loser."

Spiegel scoffed, pressing himself up to sit. "Like a stupid shadow knows anything about me."

The creature sneered. "I do." Its dark skin peeling down as if had turned into drops of water, dripping down on the floor, revealing a pale color. Brown hair, blue and red eyes, an evil smirk plastered all around its face. "Because I am you."

Any defiant look Spiegel had on his face before, instantly disappeared. "This can't be… right… They made another one. THEY MADE ANOTHER ONE?!" His sapphire eyes fired up life again, burning anger filling him up.

The shadow turned Brendan instantly moved from the door, getting on top of Spiegel faster than a blink of an eye. He zoomed his arm forward, latching on Spiegel's face, more accurately silencing his mouth. "You got this wrong, friend. I am not another clone of Brendan." At his words, Spiegel visibly calmed down, his body stopping trashing to get away from the hold. "I am you, literally. Everything you can be, everything you forgot… that is me."

Jerking his arm forward, the duo-colored eyed man tossed Spiegel forward, making him slam his head against a large shelf, glass pots and cups falling all around him.

"Look at you." This shade of Spiegel spoke with an utter repulse. "Crawling at the floor, miserable." It snorted, glaring down at the boy. "A pathetic travesty of something godly." Again, with its phantom speed, this thing lunged at Spiegel, grabbing him by the collar of his now dirty-brown kimono. "Weak, insignificant failure. You bent all at four to him, didn't you? You took comfort in his friendly words, YOU!"

Growling in frustration of his situation, Spiegel jerked his head forward in a head-butt. His sudden strike, however, swinging freely in the air. His self-declared real self-appearing at his side with a creeping smirk.

"You're supposed to be a god on this planet." Again its voice sounded ever so vile and yet comforting somehow, a feeling that is scaring Spiegel more and more each time. "Being like us, we are the pinnacle of existence. We don't beg, we don't ask and more certainly… WE. DON'T. NEED. PITY."

"Yeah? How about 'we' go fuck itself?" Spiegel spat back.

The twisted version of him growled furiously, its hand smashing forward, grabbing the pale skin of the boy's neck. Spiegel gasped in pain, gurgling sounds escaping his lips as the suffocation began to set in. "You need me…" It whispered next to his left ear.

" **Gel…"** Kyogre desperately shouted from within, its thunderous voice coming up as a light echo to Spiegel. **"Boy, listen to me!"** The titan finally got to his guardian, his desperate voice startling Spiegel away from his excruciating pain. **"Look down, you imbecile! Stop chocking yourself."**

He glanced down at himself, his eyes widening as big as saucers. Pressing merciless at his neck it is his own left hand, his fingers getting red for putting so much strength in the action. His body jerked to the side, his hand pulling away from his neck; air finally reaching his lungs. He hacked, coughed and even puked a pool of saliva.

" **What is wrong with your head boy?"** Kyogre echoed his anger without restraint. **"Stop fighting against the wind and get a hold of yourself."**

"He… was here…" Spiegel spoke in a broken sentence, a searing pain flaring from his head with more intensity than anything that he has ever felt before. His blue eyes caught a glance of something, a figure of a person, standing against the other wall. "It's not real… You're not real."

" **Oi! Spiegel, get a… Boy, don't you dare…. Listen… Spiegel!"** Kyogre's voice faded back to the pit of Spiegel's sub consciousness once again, now even with his most heated struggle, the sapphire titan cannot reach the boy again.

"It's a waste of time, you know." The other Spiegel came back, now looking down at his real-life self with contempt eyes. "I am more real than the air that you breathe. More real than the ground you step on. Wanna know why?" He vanished and appeared in front of the boy again, crouching in front of him.

Spiegel trembled in response, his eyes fleeing the image of that villainous face. "Go away… You're not real; just get the hell away from me."

"I am real… because I am right here." He reached in with one hand, gently tapping Spiegel's forehead with his index finger. "Look inside you, you know the truth. Our plans, remember them. Remember, Deoxys. REMEMBER, BRENDAN!"

Another attempted flew right past the mocking shadow, Spiegel's arm swinging so hard that his knuckle did a complete arc, hitting hard the edge of the shelf, a little cut forming on tip of his fist.

Laughing away in a theatrically evil manner, the shadow stood up making room for what he was planning next. "Brendan, look at me. This is where we belong. This is what we want." It frowned angrily as the boy didn't comply and continued to stare at the ground at his right. "LOOK AT ME!"

He flinched, that voice startled him to his core. It is his voice, dark, evil… but his voice, commanding him to look up and that he did. With a single glance, his body shot up from the ground, his back grinding against the broken shelf as he tried to back away, to run away, but couldn't get a single step away from there.

Standing next to that repulsive thing, are Zinnia and Flannery. Both girls looking at him with passion, with care… with love. Seeing them here, real or not, made him almost lose the grasp of his sanity, the only thing keeping himself awake being the throbbing pain in his wounded leg.

"Come here, Brendan." Zinnia cooed, her voice making his heart warm up and ache at the same time. "I will give you all of my love."

"Yes, come." Flannery said next. "We are here for you. Always for you."

"Stop…" He begged quietly.

"Why? This is what you want. I know this. Because it is exactly what I want." An evil chuckled echoed, a certain trigger affecting Spiegel's head, forcing him to look up again.

Any balance or strength he had left just got drained away from him. His back slid all the way back down; the little rough edges of the damaged furniture marking his back even more. "Please, stop." He begged, his eyes shutting close to not look at those two, not like this… as this monster forced him to look at them naked. "Stop doing this... I am not a monster."

From nothing and silence, an ever-familiar jovial laugh sounded out. It was a spot of light inside this turmoil of darkness. "That's obvious, you dork." Ethan's voice called out to him. Spiegel instantly jerked his head up, eyes shining with hope only for that hope to die and sink him in even bigger despair. "You're not a monster, retard. You are a god."

The same grip as before latched on his neck again, the familiar burning pain grazing his skin yet again, forcing his eyes up to stare at the sole figure standing in front of him.

"Accept your fate, embrace your darkness." The shadow snarled on his face. "Kill that bastard, take his place. Take everything. Go on. Accept me!"

In their dreading struggle, the room sunk into a deep silence, devoid of any sound other than his choking noises. It hurts to think, hurts to not breathe, and hurts even more to stare at that thing strangling his neck. Yet, his heart is aching a hundred times fold. To think that something like this lurks in his core; that this came from him. "Gah…" Spiegel pushed his back against the shelf; he bit his lower lip in a desperate reaction, blood leaking slowly at the side of his mouth.

A flicker, one moment. One last sparkle flashed on those sapphire eyes, an undying determination filled the boy's core and in that… "Aaaaarrhhhh!"

A single noise ended everything, a breakpoint that finished his inner fight. Inside that room, no, from within that entire floor, no other sign of life appeared. No sound, no hustle; yet that single noise still lingers in a faint echo, the noise of bone cracking.

* * *

"So…. Anything…?" Brendan bent next to a closed-door, seeking support on the wall.

" **You're clear. The only thing in your path is rubble and broken things."** Groudon said. For the last past minutes, the red titan has been served as his guardian's compass inside this oblivion maze.

"Really? Are you really sure?" Brendan asked. The young champion glancing behind him, the horde of shadows crawling after him.

" **Rejoice. Your only problem at this moment is ignoring those illusions."** Groudon replied right back.

"Yeah… so reassuring. Those evil looking things are clearly not so scary… for you who can't see them." Brendan snorted, ignoring the growl of those things getting close to him. He tackled the door open, scanning the room quickly. A huge sigh of relief escaping his lips as he saw nothing in there, human or not.

Violet's inhumanly annoying static sound sounded in, her giggles following right after. "Hi, handsome. It's been some minutes, right? Missed me?" Her cutesy voice singing happily, after Brendan just ignored her altogether. "Ah, tough love. You just know how to appease me. Hey, hey. I wanted to talk to you a little bit, please answer me."

Taking rest in the vacant rest, Brendan sat down, leaning his back against the cushioned head support. He digested her request for a quiet minute and then scoffed.

"Okay, just listen then." She pouted and somehow conveyed that on the sound of her voice. "I've groomed that clone of yours before. I had suuuuch big plans for him, beautiful schemes. He is a masterpiece, ready to be unleashed." In that turn of topic, Violet was able to capture Brendan's full attention and she delighted herself upon noticing it. "He is perfect in every sense. A blinding darkness to counter your shining light. Oohh I want so badly for him to break this region, I get shivers just thinking about it."

A sarcastic snort played Brendan's reaction very well. "I am flattered that you think so highly of me. But you're having an absurd delusion if you thinking that I am so big and powerful that just me or an evil me can break Hoenn."

"You? Ha! You can't. Even if you were to murder half of the people in this shitty piece of land, that would not be enough… That would be bland and boring." Violet sang loudly, the screeching sound of a chair spinning passed on to the microphone. "Don't you get it? If there is a symbol, a hero. People will always turn their faith to that symbol, that beacon of hope. And Brendan, dear… you are Hoenn's light. Now imagine a shadow as big as that light, better, a monster of unparalleled evil who just happens to look exactly like the one everyone looks for in their desperate times." Her fingers scratched on the surface of the recording device, making another annoying sound. "That would break Hoenn. It would break this entire place's spine right in half."

Brendan frowned, his guts turning with as he imagined the events she detailed. Then a little flash of Spiegel's desperate attempt to save Brendan from that stupid hole crossed his mind. That person is harsh and sometimes way to forward with his thinking, yet Brendan cannot see that much evil on him, despite their recent history, he just can't.

"Well, too bad for you that he is not like that." Brendan said, looking up to the ceiling with a defiant look.

His composure, however, lasted only until Violet's maniacal laughter echoed around the whole building. She snorted, growled and laughed out of control, hustling sounds of clothing once again getting over to the microphone. "And that brings us to our final challenge. Good luck Brendan, hihihi. I will be rooting for you with all my love. Please don't die so easily."

As her voice faded back into nothing, the closed-door busted open, as in tackled down at the floor without remorse. From the wake of the violent crashing sound, five shadows poured inside the bedroom, her voices chanting the same word again and again as they glared at Brendan.

" **Brendan!"** Groudon called.

"How many are real?" Brendan asked frantically, getting back on his feet, arms standing in guard in front of him.

" **All of them."** The titan said and Brendan grimaced.

After his first encounter with one of those 'monsters', Brendan did his best to avoid any confrontation with them. Not only for the ferocity of their attacks but because attacking those shadows back will just mean that he is attacking innocent people trapped in this place. He glanced down to the bed, his hands quickly snatching the large pillow and putting it in front of him. If he at least could push them without getting stabbed in the process, he would be able to escape without many consequences.

That was his battle plan, little did he know that it would even get a chance to be put to test. A powerful banging sound echoed from the hall outside, a ghostly cry of pain piercing the veil of silence. Every shadow standing ready to attack Brendan fell on the floor, their bodies turning into a ragdoll mess as they mounted on top of each other in their fall. It was then that this unique noise came to life, a metallic sound of a blunt object grinding against the concrete.

A sixth shadow popped from the corner, this one much darker and eerier. Standing from the norm, this one walking with its head hanging low, one arm flapping down in the air as if it was a mere piece of cloth, while it holds a long metal cane on the other hand. This shadow stopped in front of the open door, slowly its head going up, revealing glowing round blue eyes, eyes that stared deeply at Brendan.

From everything he has seen and faced inside this place, nothing came as close as this one in the terrifying scale. Brendan's legs got rigid as cold steel; his mouth opens but not a sound coming out. He needs to run, to escape from this room.

The thought came too late, as his feet started to action of moving an inch forward, that shadow has already dashed inside, eyes staring with a dangerous fixation. A gush of wind cried in the swing of that cane, like a bird's whistle, a piercing sound followed the trail of that arcing movement.

Brendan raised his pillow-shield, closing his eyes in fear. The same bang from before echoed again, this time from his left. An agonizing screech pushed Brendan down on the bed, his eyes shooting back open. He could see a deep red eye, large blobs of tears forming at its corner as a bulky grey body got ejected from within the wall. A Dusknoir waved its arm in the air, head shaking from one side to the other, pain visible in its wails.

The metal cane flashed from bellow, hitting the screaming Pokémon on its huge ghostly belly. Crying even louder in pain, the Dusknoir went flying to the ground, its red eye shutting down as he painfully growled into a dark slumber.

A single ray of light poked from the dark glass of those windows. The first drop of light unleashing an effect that began to clear the room of every illusion, every little shadow which didn't belong in the real world. Brendan drifted his gaze away from the unconscious Pokémon, glancing upwards to the panting man standing next to the bed.

Spiegel stared down at his twin for a moment, his face turning into a painful mess at every odd moment. "Let's go." He commanded, turning his back away and pacing himself towards the door.

For what seemed an eternity, Brendan finally had a moment of respite. He watched the other boy walk away and vanish at the corner. His attention changing for a moment to the group of people lying on top of each other; patients, nurses, doctors… He frowned getting the proper confirmation that everyone who was in this building fell victim to his horrible situation.

Spiegel tapped twice with the metallic cane against the wall on the other side, the sounds taking Brendan away from his depressive thinking. And so, the champion jumped from the bed and followed after his twin. Just as he walked into the hallway, he jumped startled by Spiegel's image who is standing right next to the door, close enough to scare anyone who would walk out of there.

"How did-" Brendan began but got silenced as Spiegel hissed at him.

"She used those Dusknoir to change everything. Basically, making a living nightmare inside this place." Spiegel whispered quietly, for only to Brendan to hear. "Every floor had two of those creeping from the shadows, watching us and changing things as they wanted."

Spiegel pointed behind Brendan to the long part of the hallway behind them, Brendan followed the tip of the cane, his eyes landing on the ridiculous amount of people laying on the floor, most unconscious, the rest just sobbing and talking quietly to themselves in a total state of shock. Far on the other end, he also noticed another Dusknoir laying on its belly, totally out of itself.

The blue-eyed boy tapped his twin on the arm with the side of his cane. "Come, let's end this." He said and turned away before Brendan could get a proper look at him. Limping at each step, Spiegel continued to walk with Brendan in his tail, the two passed by three other rooms, the scenery not getting any better inside all of them. They went onward, until Spiegel suddenly stopped, raised his good arm to warn his twin.

He took a long breath and then glanced back onto Brendan's eyes. He waited until the red-eyed boy nodded and stood ready at his side. Then, breathing heavily and deeply once more, Spiegel turned the knob and kicked the door open.

Violet's shoulder jumped at the sound the door made. The girl more than ready for their arrival, pressed herself against the older man, her knee resting on his bed as she threatens him with a sharp little knife. "Not a single step forward or-"

She had no time to finish her sentence as the metal cane went flying towards her. In a panic, she raised both hands in front of her face, in a weak attempt to block the thing from damaging her so badly. The cylindric weapon clashed against the white wall at her side, her eyes widening in fear as she opened them up again just to see the blue-eyed Brendan right on top of her.

"Please, wait!" She cried in terror, voice as pleading as it could be in its child-like innocence.

He didn't wait, not even for a moment. Spiegel grabbed the girl by her neck and bashed the back of her head against the wall, the muffled sound of the impact is the last thing she heard before her head limped to the side and her limbs went soft.

His still functioning arm swung to the side, tossing the girl on the floor. Spiegel trembled in place, his breathing hard and uneven. His legs are itching to move, craving to stomp right after her and finish everything for real. For a moment he considered giving in, just embracing what his body wanted to badly, but a firm hand on his shoulder pulled him away from such dark thoughts.

"It's over." Brendan said with a stern face. That was everything he spared to his twin as his attention quickly changed to the gray-haired man looking at them. "Mr. Stone are you okay?"

The old man looked at him still surprised by everything and even more by seeing two of those boys at the same time. Yet he nodded at Brendan and smiled. "I am… Despite everything, I am well, young Brendan."

"That's great to hear, sir. Steven would have my hide if I let anything happen to you." Brendan jested with a weak smile. "We will help you get out of this place, sir."

Joseph looked conflicted by the news, while happy to leave this place, his heart ached in the thought of everyone also stuck in here. "You should help the others." The old man said. "I am safe and secure here." He tried to reason, but have little effect on Brendan's resolute gaze.

"Sorry, sir… I can't help those people. At least, not by myself." Brendan walked next to Joseph, giving the old man the support of his shoulders. "They are in shock and deeply traumatized. If we tried to move them now, they could react violently." He carefully grabbed the old man's arm, resting it around his neck and pulling the aged man to the edge of his bed. "Hey!" Brendan called out Spiegel, who was still staring at Violet. "I can't do this without you, come on."

A slow grunt was Spiegel's response. With a lot of effort on his part, he took his eyes away from the pinky-haired girl, slowly pacing to his spot next to Brendan and Joseph.

The young trainers carried the weight of Mr. Stone's body, while they slowly crossed the horrible halls and floors, now properly lit and showing the devastation brought by Violet's sick game. Joseph, despite his maturity and advanced age, could not stomach the sight of those people crying in fear. As soon as they stepped outside his room and his eyes landed on the first victim, the old businessman closed his eyes and let the other two guide him away from this hell. And they continued without stop, slowly but steady, carrying Steven's father all the way to the main entrance and to the big double doors at the exit.

With Spiegel's right arm still lifeless hanging to the side, Brendan had to be the one pushing the doors open. They clenched their eyes for a moment as the noon' sun bathed them in light and them they finally stepped outside that horrible place. Yet, at the first step out, they stopped.

Brendan and Spiegel stared down at the little stairs case leading to the street. Never crossed their minds that once out of there, there would be people waiting for them. So, to their surprise, two pairs of eyes are watching them.

"Steven…" Brendan said quietly, a shy smile crossing his lips.

The blue-haired scion had a million emotions racing across his face. First, he blinked a few times, surprised to see two Brendans, then the line of his jaw softened and his eyes watered in glinting tears. His body trembled as the blond woman at his side touched his arm, taking his attention. She smiled at him and nodded for Steven to go to them.

"Father." Steven called out to Joseph. He rushed those steps like the wind was carrying him, his arms grabbing his father as soon as he got close enough. "I thought… for a moment I thought..."

"I know, son…" Joseph pulled his arms from his kind helper's necks and fully embraced his son. "Sorry for making you worry."

Steven pulled his face away from his father's neck, tears now freely sliding down on his face. He smiled and hugged the old man again. He stood like that for a few seconds, until he pulled back again and looked at Brendan, both of them.

"Thank you, Brendan…" His thankful words had a little uncertainty on then. Seeing two Brendan was way confusing that it may look. "You kept my father safe."

Brendan smiled fully, tapping his friend on the shoulder. "You would have done the same for me." He said back. Steven now looking at the right Brendan and smiling. "We sure have a lot to share, Steven. But for now, just focus on your father."

Steven nodded, helping his father get proper support on his shoulders. Then the old champion grimaced, his eyes darting back to his ruined city. "We need to find a safe place." He said with a touch of sorrow in his tone.

"Go to Lavaridge." Spiegel raised his voice, getting everyone's attention. "Mr. Stone will not be able to reach Ever Grande in that state. But Lavaridge is safe, the international police are staying there. Plus, he can get treated properly there too." He thought of Looker and Max, while they are not a full force of agents, they are still cops. And Ethan's silly joke about getting healed on the thermal baths, somehow convinced the naïve blue-eyed boy that they are magical and will heal anything.

Steven glanced from Spiegel to Brendan, then back to Spiegel. He carefully studied the boy, but then smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He said in genuine appreciation. "Cynthia, can you help me?"

She smiled and nodded, climbing the steps towards Steven. Together the two of them carried Mr. Stone down to the street, where Steven called out his massive Metagross. Gently in their care, they helped Joseph climb at the back of the big Pokémon and then they began their journey to Lavaridge town.

"Where are you going?" Brendan said, directing his voice in the best way he could to the boy behind him. Even if Spiegel tried his best to sneak away without a sound, Brendan caught a glimpse of him at the corner of his left eye.

"Doesn't matter." Spiegel responded dryly, still stopping on his tracks.

"Aah… And here was I thinking you could be a normal person and not an ever-grumpy bastard." Brendan turned around, his vision properly sitting on the other boy's figure. Out of that glooming darkness and free of the stressful situation of always being on the edge, he now can see how battered and outright trashed his twin is. "What's wrong with your arm?" Brendan asked, stepping a little closer. "Just look at people when they are talking with-"

Even in his childlike stubbornness, Spiegel turns around, slowly, to face the red-eyed youth. "I… I told you… this is nothing…"

Brendan sucked his breath in, his heart felt like it has stopped for a moment. He stared at his twin, he watched those blue eyes now surrounded by nothing but a blood-red color of his eyeball, his face a mess of moist dust stuck at his cheeks, his lower lip is even worse as it is full of cuts and a trail of blood.

"Just, leave me alone… D-doesn't m-matter…" Spiegel faltered as his voice quietly died down.

Another long step forward, Brendan reached with one hand to his twin, the blue-eyed boy jerking backward in response. His broken arm swinging freely down, its movements making him shiver and grunt in pain. This person is broken in body and mind. Anyone can see that with just a glimpse at him.

'He is shivering and trembling everywhere…' Brendan frowned, an involuntary look of pity showing in his eyes. This time he took three steps forward, basically tackling Spiegel in a hold. With one arm, he pressed the other boy closer and then he said. "It's over… I don't know what she did to you in there… But it's over. You're safe now and I am here with you."

At those words, at the warmth of that embrace. Spiegel broke down in tears. He pressed his face down against Brendan's shoulder. He raised his left arm around his twin back and pressed it with all his might. Everything that was stuck in his chest came pouring down at those heavy, painful sobs.

Brendan held the trembling boy even closer, letting him cry all his sorrows at his shoulder. It was weird hearing his own voice in such agony and pain, but more than that it hurt even as if he was the one feeling all that. With his gaze focused on the blue sky at the distant, Brendan felt a tingling sensation in his red eyes, small warm tears slowly appearing, gliding down his cheeks.

For a long time, much longer than they expected. Both boys just stood there, hugging each other, while Spiegel continued to cry without an end in sight.

* * *

This morning left its mark on Brendan, making him categorize such events as ever so properly as a 'shit-storm'. Taking in count everything he saw and heard inside the building behind him, he has to admit that what he is seeing now takes the crown as the weirdest thing he has ever seen in his life.

In the middle of the deserted street, a human-sized green sphere appeared out of nowhere. The foggy image of a person stuck inside is reflecting on the exterior. That person inside, spasmed wildly, hands digging out in a desperate attempt do escape, the nails scratching and reaching, little by little carving a way out. After a minute or so of a struggle, Ethan plopped out of that thing, the raven-haired boy falling on the ground as a berry in its prime, ready to be ripe. He coughed loudly, a green mist mixture with spit landing on the warmed concrete. He stayed there for a few more moments, getting his senses together and a minimum bearing of his surroundings.

Ethan chewed something at the side of his mouth and spat it out, more of the same green-like spit. His eyes traveling upwards and meeting the curious gaze of Brendan, who is sitting at the last step of the sidewalk stairs. "Hey, there champ." Ethan chirped happily while visibly tired. "Did I miss something?"

At that Brendan scoffed, not holding back a little laugh. "What does it look like?"

Those golden eyes glanced all over him and at the boy sleeping at his side. After mulling over some thoughts, Ethan sighed as he walked closer. "You guys look like trash." He said, stopping in front of Brendan. A playful smirk crossing his lips. "At least you two are friends now. Look at you, letting Spiegel use your back as a pillow."

Brendan gave a soft side glance to his twin, peacefully breathing against his back. "He cried himself to sleep."

"That bad?" Ethan's eyed widened. "Jeez, now I feel like an ass for leaving you two alone."

Waving one hand in front of him, Brendan dismissed Ethan's concern. Getting a third person to that hell would most likely do little good and more bad then it was worth it. "We took care of it. But he got it worse… a lot worse." Raising one arm, the young champion pointed to the improvised support made of clothes wrapped around Spiegel's arm. "He broke his arm and got his thigh stabbed… Those are the ease wounds he got from the ordeal."

Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Ethan took a sit at Brendan's free left side. He brought both hands to his face, letting his fatigue escape through his lips in a long second sigh. "Blazing hell, the guy just wanted to spend some time with cutie and I dragged him into this mess." Ethan looked pissed, more at himself than at anything else. With a low growl he just swallowed his anger. "Found what you were looking for?" He asked.

Brendan nodded quietly, letting out a stern humming sound. "The price was high, especially not for me… But it was worth it. I have a feeling he thinks the same. And you? Found what you went after?"

Ethan scoffed, a disheartened grin giving away his dissatisfaction. "In a way, I did." He looked at Brendan's eyes, in its all rarity, a serious look flashed at the raven-haired trainer. "The dumbass went after his father on his own."

"You're going after him?" Brendan asked.

"What choice do I have?" Ethan snarled in response. He growled and shot himself back up to his feet. "Can you look after him for a little while more?" One of his fingers trailed down at the sleeping boy, Brendan following with his eyes.

"Yeah… I can do that." Was the brown-haired champion's response.

Ethan smiled, brightly so. "Good. He will not admit it, but he thinks too highly of his older brother."

At that Brendan frowned, adjusting himself uncomfortably on his spot. "He is not my-"

"Then just think of him as such." Ethan cut him quickly. "Don't do that too. He has been called a thing, a monster, an evil clone… That guy is like a lost little kid without guidance. Don't be another one treating him as something not human, it will drive him crazy." With his shoulders stiff high, Ethan shook his head a low chuckle sounding off. "Just think about it okay?" Speaking his piece, the raven-haired trainer trailed off to a different way, going on his quest to find his lover before is too late.

"I will gather everyone at Ever Grande." Brendan said loudly, his voice making Spiegel stir at his side. "I will wait for you there, so you better come."

Ethan stopped for a moment, he considered the idea for a moment and without turning to look at his friend, he raised one hand and waved. "Then I will show up. See you later, big bro." He teased Brendan one last time and then properly set off on his unmarked road.

* * *

 ** _A little end note here:_** _Writing this chapter was a real challenge, sure the change to a bit of horror was a little hard to make BUT! Writing this tense stuff while listening to_ _ **Kara no Kokoro - Anly** and **Newsong - Tacica.** Jeez why I had to get so hook up on these songs right when I am about to write a chapter like this. But in the end, I think I did a good job a conveying what I wanted to pass, so much so that I have to admit by the end of the chapter my eyes got a little teary._

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	32. Life - A Distant Promise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Okay, a little heads up about the next chapter or chapters to be more precise. To prepare you guys and avoid confusion, the next update will contain two chapters on the same day, so stay alert and try not to skip the first one._

_Oh and going forward, I will be using a lot more of the great trait of music. Not only I think that is a cool addition to a chapter, but it also represents a deeper meaning to the chapter as well (every music is chosen by its lyrics or its name to pass a clear message). So, in a little spoiler... Everything past this chapter will be huge in scale compared to the recent ones._

* * *

"Eh… Max? Any news?"

The blond investigator is known for his calm and playful persona, yet, even he feels exhausted and somewhat annoyed by the now thirty repeats of the same question. "No…" He replied drily with a quick roll of his eyes. And instantly felt bad when the red-haired girl looked down and deflated. "Sorry Flannery nothing new yet." This time he said with a bit more sympathy in his voice.

"But, they have been missing for a whole day." She protested, her hand clinging on the end of Max's shirt. "This is not normal, right?"

As the respected beauty, Leader of Lavaridge's Gymnasium, have said, Ethan and Bren- Spiegel vanished at the early morning of the previous day and ever since then no one has seen a glimpse of the pair. Of course, as the hours passed and the boy that shined a different light in her life continued missing, Flannery got more and more worried.

Which sadly for her, she is the only one. After their night of festivity, the people of Lavaridge had the unlucky surprised of being drafted into Looker's mission. The veteran police officer, being short in proper staff support, assigned different roles to everyone he laid eyes on. Mostly the civilian population of the small town got the responsibility of watching and properly guarding the criminal agents of Rainbow Rocket, who got arrested on Kyogre's assault to free the town.

With that, everyone was more than occupied and distressed to even think about the absence of their hero. Leaving poor Flannery to mope around all by herself.

"I don't know Ethan all that well to say anything. But the guy is a genius on the field, he is one of the most famous trainers in the world. I wouldn't worry about them." Max gave the worried trainer a little pat on her back and smiled softly as she looked over to his eyes. "As something he would say; Don't worry cutie, your boyfriend is in good hands."

The girl's face went full bright red, the blushing quickly spreading all over her body as she fidgets and turns away. "He is not… not yet… We just started something…" At each sentence, her embarrassment got worse, and to make matters worse the two of them are standing right in the middle of the street and in the plain view of everyone.

When a sudden uproar erupted from the other side of the avenue, Flannery instantly hid her face behind her hands. She feels a bit silly for being so touchy with this situation, yet can't help herself but get more and more flustered; and if people are to tease her about it, she might as well run away.

A low chuckle came from the blond man. He pulled the back of his hair into a messy ponytail and grinned. "Hey, look at that. Don't need to worry anymore princess, your knight is here." He pointed to the town's entrance, where a group of people is starting to amass in a bulk. Getting a proper glimpse at the commotion he frowned little. "Isn't that…"

Flannery's eyes sparkled with more life than ever before. In the distressed hours she spent worrying, she also wondered and tinkered with every word and reason she could to best talk with that boy she deems so special. Now, she finally gets the chance to speak with him and put all her little rehearsed speeches into action.

As the young Gym Leader stepped forward, lips parted into a bright grin as her eyes are glued onto that boy's silly face, she felt a strong grip on her left arm, holding her in place.

"Wait." Max said in a stern, commanding voice. "I don't think you should do this."

Flannery glanced back at him, even for a moment Max could swear he saw the girl glaring at him. "Why?" She rebutted. "After thinking for so long, I don't have any doubts anymore." She yanked her arm away from his hold and walked even faster towards the brown-haired champion.

Gently pushing her way inside the crowd of people welcoming their hero back, Flannery finally got closer to Brendan, her eyes shining even more as he looked at her and smiled. Still, a little pinch flared inside her chest as she noticed the tanned-skinned girl standing close, very close, at his side; her ruby-like eyes examining Flannery with a caution of a wild Pokémon.

"Flannery!" Brendan called out to her, his voice full of energy and youthful joy. "It's so nice to see you again."

Just the sound of his voice was enough to make the girl blush and the people around her giggle at her silliness. "Hi… I was worried about you." She said a bit quietly, a miracle event considering her thunderous voice of normal.

While the bystanders around them laughed and cuddled next to their beloved leader, Brendan tilted his head to the side a bit confused but managed to laugh away just like everybody else. "Well, I was worried about you too. With Hoenn in such chaos, I was scared that you guys got involved too. Luckily I was wrong." Now, Flannery was the one giving the young champion a weird look, that is until he stepped forward and closer, taking her hand into his firm hold. "Anyway, I want to introduce you to someone." Brendan gave a little space between her and the tanned girl, a bright smile on his lips. "Zinnia, this is Flannery. She is a good friend of mine; we have known each other for a long time now. Flannery, this is Zinnia, she is… She is my girlfriend and the reason I am still standing firm in my life."

Any shred of joy and happiness quickly evaporated from Flannery's expression. Brendan's words echoed inside her head like the deafening drums of a thunderstorm. She stared at him lost, disappointed and saddened. "Girlfriend…" She let the word out with a quiet sob, a lone tear sparkling at the side of her left eye. Out of everything she thought of saying, of all the things she wanted to share with this person, this never crossed her mind. Heartbroken and too shocked to hold her tears, Flannery turned around and bashed her way out of the crowd of people behind her, quickly disappearing from view.

Brendan and Zinnia traded glanced with each other, more confused than anything else. More than quickly, Brendan saw the look of disgust and disapproval on every single person looking at him, the mood and atmosphere quickly changed and it sent chills up his spine.

"You don't have any shame?!" An elderly woman yelled from the back.

"I trusted you, you jerk. The hell is this?" Another heated voice sounded off, escalating things way faster than what they should go.

The oblivious couple had to take several steps back to not get engulfed by the angry mob. Brendan held his arm in a straight line to his left to protect Zinnia from anything, while she held to his back ready to jump onto anyone who would step too close.

"Okay, People you need to stop this right now!" A blond man jumped in front of the crowd, making his voice louder and fiercer than any other. "You guys got everything wrong, so step aside before you do something you will regret." He commanded and the citizens obliged, not to willingly.

"Max?!" Zinnia called out to him. "What you're doing here? And the hell is wrong with these people?"

"Everything in time, Zinnia." Max gave his partner a side glance, his face all too serious. The then shifted his eyes to Brendan's surprised mug. "Hey lover boy, you should go after Flannery. Your face is the only thing that might calm her down. Do you get it?" He said with a clear underline.

Brendan stared at the blond man, mouth agape as he failed to grasp everything inside his head. But as his eyes traveled past the angry mob in front of him, to the figure of his old friend running away, something clicked inside his mind. "I can't be…"

"Yeah… Just go there." Max casually made way for the taller boy to pass and so Brendan sprinted forward, completely ignoring the still furious glares from everyone as he shoved people out of his way. "Okay, guys. Just stay quiet for a moment. I will try to explain this mess the best that I can…" Max got the attention of the angered citizens of Lavaridge, then gave a little look back to Zinnia as if saying; this goes for you too.

Despite Flannery's best effort to dash away to a dark and silent corner, she had little success in hiding herself properly as Brendan easily found the little spot between the Pokémon center and the hot springs' stony walls. Sure, with every person on his path looking exactly to that place helped him find her, but then again she had little choice of places to hide in a small town like this.

Steeling himself for anything at this point, the young champion let his nerves deflate in the rhythm of his breathing, and then he turned the little corner just to find the Red-haired girl sitting down on the ground, her face pressing against her knees. At each step that Brendan got closer to her the more he could hear her pained little sobs.

"Flannery…" He called out to her, his voice low and mellow.

Her shoulders jolted at the sound of his voice, yet her head remained there, keeping her face hidden from his gaze.

Quietly and carefully, Brendan stepped closer to his friend, settling himself against the white wall right in front of her. "Flannery, we need to talk." He tried to reach in with one hand, but she pulled herself away from him, her teary eyes shooting right up to stare at his eyes.

"Why…?" She asked in the midst of louder sobs. "Brendan… if you had someone. Then why did you do that do me?" Her question made the young man frown and bit his lips.

"Flannery, I did nothing." He replied curly and that made her snap.

The fiery Gym Leader shot right up, teeth clenching and fists stiffened hard behind her back. "Nothing?" She said in disbelief. "So that meant nothing to you? I MEANT NOTHING?!" Any restraint she had on her tears, completely vanished just now as she broke down in front of him. "How could you… I thought that… You were…"

Before she could run, before she could fall down on her knees, before she would break down even more; Brendan grabbed her by the arms and pulled her closer to him, close enough to be inches away from her face. "Flannery, stop for a moment. Look at me, look at my eyes." He brought the back of his hand to her cheek, wiping the tears away. "Tell me what you see."

"I see a lying jerk." She said with a pout.

Brendan chuckled at her little outburst; this is definitely not how he remembers the mouthful girl. "Okay, you have the right to be upset but please, just look at me."

She tried to look to the side again, but a pleading hum came from the handsome boy and so she ceded. Her red eyes landed on his features, going from his fair and smooth lips all the way from the trimmed bangs on his forehead. "You look different…" She replied with a trembling voice. "Your hair is a lot smaller than two days ago." Her hands carefully explored the tips of his locks, Brendan eyed her with a watchful gaze, lenient but still not willing to let her touch him more than that. "Your eyes… They are different too…" Her hands traveled down to his cheeks and at that point, he politely pushed her hand away.

"Yeah… My eyes are red, but his eyes are blue, right?" He noted the slight change on her face, going from disheartened to confused and somewhat startled. "I guess you have met my other half and from your reaction… there is more to it than just meeting him."

Flannery quietly took a small folded piece of paper from the back pocket of her pants; she brought it closer to her chest and then presented the letter to the boy in front of him. "Brendan… Spiegel… I don't know what to call you, but please… tell me why you give me this hope."

He smiled as she pushed the letter against his hands again, but he did not take it. Instead, Brendan grabbed her other hand and placed it on top of the little paper. "If this is what I think it is, I have no right to read it. Furthermore, I have no right to tell you his secret, but I cannot really leave you in the dark…. Ah… Okay, Flannery. I will tell you what I can, the rest you will have to ask the guy himself."

Even with the million questions Flannery has in her mind right now, she decided to just nod and comply. She will hear Brendan for anything he has to say and she can only hope that he can make some sense in this maddening turn of events in her life.

"Spiegel, did 'I' asked you to calm me like that?" He lifted her chin up as he asked.

"On our date…" She replied calmly. "You said that Spiegel was your name and asked me to call you so."

"Date, huh…" Brendan pondered about it with a strange little smile. "My name is Brendan, as it is now and always will be. Spiegel is the name of the person you had your date with."

Those questions stuck at the tip of her tongue, Flannery stared at him with an utterly confused expression. If their conversation was making little sense before, now is just a mess. However, before she could raise her voice, in her Flannery fashion way of doing it, Brendan got her attention with a light tap on her shoulder.

"As I said before, you have met my other half…. In a sense. Spiegel is not me and I am not him. We both are Brendans, but we are completely different people." At each attempt that he tries to ease her mind, the more he confuses her, as is very apparent on the blank look on her eyes. "Listen, I just want you to know that I am not the guy you shared moments with. I am Brendan, your friend. I am not 'Brendan', the person who may mean more than that to you."

Taking her gaze downwards, the flaming red-haired girl stepped away from Brendan, letting her backside rest firmly against the solid and warm rocky wall. "I get it." She said remarkably calm. "You're not the same person that I met two days ago." Despite her deflated postured, her shoulder quivered up and down as she chuckled and then full-fledged laughed. "I have a hard time believing anything you just said, but then… Only this craziness could explain Spiegel's quirks and his letter to me."

"So, you believe me?" Brendan asked.

"I do." Flannery replied right back with a small grin on her lips. "Either you are the worse guy in the planet and is trying to trick me into an awful relationship… or you're being truthful. I want to believe in the latter choice." With that said, she smiled. A bright, colorful and happy smile; a little gestured that did not fail to touch Brendan, washing his worries away. At that, Flannery walked forward again, this time holding Brendan by his arm as she eyed him with wide-open eyes. "Where is him?" She asked.

"He is resting at Ever Grande." As soon as the words left his mouth, Brendan had to quickly step in and grab Flannery by her arm again or she would have darted away without notice. "I came to Lavaridge Town to call anyone able to fight, we are gathering at Ever Grande City. Please, be patient for a little longer and I will take you to see him."

"Fine." She replied drily. "I will gather as much help as possible." Her stern gaze and firm stance made Brendan released his hold onto her, letting the girl step away as she marched towards the little town's center.

"Flannery." Brendan called her name, the fiery Gym Leader stopped and looked back at him. "Why him?"

"I don't know." Her lips curled upwards into a shy little smile. "But he was my hero for a day and now..." She raised the folded letter, taking it at the height of her eyes. "I want to be there for him too. A super cool HEROINE!" Her voice stormed out at the end, but instead of feeling embarrassed or shy, Flannery just grinned.

"A superheroine, huh?" Brendan chuckled, shaking his head just a little "He might need that… Two days before, I would urge you, no, implore you to stay away from that guy." His comment earned a frown from the red-haired girl. "Flannery, he will try to push you away. After what I told him last night, he will definitely try to raise a wall between him and everyone around him."

In silent contemplation, she just watched as Brendan walked closer and then past her, leaving an even more confused but now distressed Gym Leader behind him. After the first step beyond the shadows between the two buildings, Brendan stopped and sighed deeply.

"If he means so much to you that you would cry for him as you did just now… Reach out to him and get past his defenses." He said with a cold serious tone. "He will need a heroine today… He and me both."

* * *

Took a long time for the grumpy young red-haired trainer to find this place, after crossing such a great length in his way, crossing the pathless forest and climbing a towering slope, Silver's prize is finally at his sight. "Shitty old man, you are an afflicting curse on this world. The amount of evil you have spread on your path… There is no atoning for that." He cursed with a growl, his boiling anger getting so intense that his winged companion stared at him with a hint of feat in her eyes.

Comet chirped quietly, her voice getting Silver out of his trance as the red-haired glanced at her.

"We will find him, Comet." He brought a hand to the back of the gold bird's head, slowly caressing her soft spot as she reacted fondly of his touch. "I will get Ethan back and I will stop that vile man once and for all."

Giving the beautiful Pokémon one last stroke on her feathers, Silver pushed his knee out of the ground and stood firm, ready to put an end to everything.

"No more running, Giovanni." He growled; his eyes fixated with killing intent at the giant aircraft still sitting on the ground. "As the bastard son of an evil man, I will take responsibility for you." Silver stepped forward, the tip of his shoe dangerously close to the edge of uneven mount.

Taking a single moment as his respite, Silver closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Comet's curious chirp pulled him back and his eyes jolted open, chest puffing with air. He opened his mouth and unleashed his voice. "GIO-"

From the sky above him, a winged silhouette dove from behind the clouds. On the wake of a tempest gush of winds, the shadow of a person landed right behind Silver and latched a strong hand against his face, promptly closing his mouth before his voice could fully get out.

"I was supposed to be the dumb reckless one." Ethan's voice echoed angrily in disapproval.

With a mighty twirl, strong enough to create his own gush of wind and curtain of dust; Silver turned around and gasped as his eyes landed on the figure of the raven-haired champion. "Ethan…" He called with a weak voice. His arms went up little by little, trembling all the way until they reached past Ethan's neck and locked down in a knot at the large of his back. "You are… here? You are safe!" Silver said against his lover's chest, his whole body trembling in their embrace.

Ethan returned the hug of his shaken pale lover, his eyes taking a glance at the motionless machinery at the end of a newly made clearing between the woods. "Seriously, Silver? Are you trying to get yourself hurt or worse?" He said in a harsh voice, sending goosebumps all around Silver's body.

"Don't give me that crap!" Silver quickly spat back, gaining some of his composure. "You were the one that vanished… I thought that they… I thought that you have might-" His voice frozen as he pulled back and finally inspect Ethan's face properly. His thin pale hand traveled up, gently touching his boyfriend's cheek, his fingers carefully running on the ugly markings of a deep scar that tarnishes his once-perfect skin.

"Sorry, Silver… I guess my face is not that pretty anymore." Ethan said with an abashed reaction, his eyes slowly drifting away from those piercing red eyes.

Silver grabbed the other boy's chin and made him look back at his eyes. "Who did this?" He asked, still shocked and baffled.

"Well… you were kind of right." Ethan said with a playful grin. "They got me on Rustboro. They tried to force me to tell where Lugia was, they really tried. Who would have known that by making fun of your torturers, they would get pissed and jam a burning hot needle at your face." He laughed at his own expense, one hand scratching the back of his head in his usual carefree demeanor.

Silver is sharing little of his boyfriend's mood, none of it to be precise. His teeth-baring out in sheer anger, arms cocking backward as his fists trembled furiously. "I will fucking kill them." He spat with no hint of exaggeration in his words and that became all too clear as he simply turned around ready to march at his father's flying fortress.

Fast in his reaction, Ethan moved ahead and wrapped Silver in a tight embrace, passing his arms from behind him and linking them at the red-haired boy's abdomen. "Please, stop… Giovanni is doing something big and awful, even worse than what you imagined. He will not stop nor will he treat you with any sympathy if you get in his way."

"Screw him and his sympathy!" Silver shouted angrily. "They've hurt you. I'll be the one not showing any sympathy for them." With his eyes sorely focused on his target, he continued to shiver and tremble in pure anger, only feeling somewhat at ease when Ethan rested the top of his head against Silver's back.

"Funny… this is the first time you ever showed this side of you to me." Ethan said in a soothing whisper, making the furious young man cool down, steaming out his temper in long and harsh breaths. With a careful and cautious move, Ethan pulled his arms back and grabbed Silver's waist, making him turn and face him properly again. "So… how do you feel about it?" He asked with a rare unsure tone in his voice. "You don't mind it?"

"How can you ask something like that? Of course, I mind! I am livid right now, how can another human being do this to someone?" Silver blurted out, pressing one of his hands on Ethan's new painful physical trait.

"That's not what I was… Silver, look at me." Ethan pulled Silver's hand down, letting the red-haired see his new scar in all of its 'glory'. "I am damaged goods now. Half of my right cheek is now tarnished with this ugly thing… You don't mind that?"

"What? You expected me to look at your face and push you away?" Silver said, raising one eyebrow as he stared at Ethan. "Wow, I had no idea that you picture me as such a shallow person."

"I am just saying that I would not blame you." Ethan replied, still showing hits of an uncanny hesitation. "Seeing this crap on the mirror, even I felt disgusted."

"I don't." If a glare could hurt, Silver's piercing gaze and furious frown would hit Ethan harder than any of Raz's punches. "I feel disgusted, yeah I do. But at them, I feel disgusted and irate at the monsters who did this, not at your appearance."

Drawn by those golden gems staring at him, Silver got closer to his lover, embracing him once again; caressing Ethan's once pale now marked skin at his cheek. A fleeting idea crossed the smaller of the lovers' duo, not something core to his character nor something that he would even consider in a normal situation. That is exactly why Silver ignored his normal senses telling him to stop and let his body move on its own in this little whim.

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise, a pleasant one. A silky sensation grazed the tip of his lips, the tender texture pressing more and more onto him as his stiffness melted away, and his own lips took the form of that kiss. In an automatic reaction, the raven-haired boy closed his eyes, arms wrapping at the firm of his partner's waist, pulling him closer against his body. With a little smacking sound, Silver parted away from their exchange, face red as Cheri Berry.

"Does that clear your doubts?" Silver quietly asked, way too embarrassed to look at the other boy's eyes after his bold display of affection.

Ethan hummed, sounding a lot happier than moments ago. Still, the golden-eyed champion let out a soft chuckle as his lips parted in an impish grin. "See… I still have a little bit of doubt." He felt Silver shuffle in his arms, his head darting right back to glance at Ethan's face, whose grin grew even more. "One more or maybe two more kisses like that and I would be golden."

A muffled punch sound echoed from Ethan's body, being followed by a very loud 'oof' coming out of him. Seeing that stupid smirk vanish from his boyfriend's face made Silver himself grin devilish. Despite feeling how he could stay like this for the whole day and even more, the red-haired felt his mind being pulled back to the existence of that immense aircraft down in the hills.

"They are right there." Silver said. "Giovanni is right down there… What we do now?"

Ethan sighed, his golden gaze looking down at that unnerving thing. "We back off." He said calmly, letting Silver grunt in displeasure as much as he wanted before continuing. "Brendan is gathering a large group of trainers back in his city. The little greenhorn is assembling an army to fight your old man's invasion. Let's go back there and see who we can deal with this for good."

"Aa… I can accept that. I just want to put an end to this madness." Silver said back.

"Rainbow Rocket's little charade ends today, I will see personally to that. Then, when we finally get all this bad stuff out of our heads, there will be a lot of stuff to settle…" He paused, leaning down just enough to press his lips on the side of Silver's head, most accurately against his ear hiding behind his long locks of red hair. "Like where we go with us." He whispered in a sweet, yet daring voice, making the poor boy jump back with his heart beating twice its normal rate.

A curious cry sounded from behind the startled trainer, making his body jolt and turn in messy disarray towards that voice. Comet, who stood quietly watching the exchange between those two, now flew forward, pressing her peck on Silver's back as to take him closer to her trainer again.

Seeing Comet's effort to help him out, Ethan laughed lively, his voice quite literally storming out the peacefulness of this mount's summit.

In an attempt to reset not only his mental state but also his heated body; Silver cleared his throat loudly, turning his attention almost completely to the golden bird. "No time to waste here, then. Let's go back to Ever Grande." He announced hastily, trying to persuade Ethan away from his lewd ways.

Until Ethan clicked his tongue a couple of times, shaking his head at the proposition. "As much as I love to fly with Comet. We are not going there on her." He smiled in child-like energy, poising one demanding hand in front of Silver.

Frowning in an uninterested tiny curiosity, Silver swiftly understood what his partner was demanding and in that, he presented the purple Poké-Ball that he kept safe while he was worried sick for the golden-eyed menace. "Weren't you the one who said that a legendary Pokémon should not be used so freely?"

A healthy snort sounded off, Ethan taking his Poké-Ball back in his care. He looked at Silver and the shadiest smirk ever crossed his lips. "We are running late, which means that everyone else is already there by now." His eyes sparkled just with the thought, his ingenious idea was forming at a rapid pace inside his mind. "Time for a great entrance."

* * *

A numerous amount of people and Pokémon have gathered close to the shores of route 122, most of them standing out in smaller groups of good acquaintances and close friends, all of them waiting for the next step after heeding the call of their Invictus champion. While this mass of people is chatting away and gossiping the events of the past weeks, three little dots are standing out far away from them, standing still and collected at the edge of the water.

"Holy sh… I heard about the damages, but that is ridiculous." Wally said in a dumbstruck manner, the young green-haired trainer stared at the massive pile of hubris and stone still standing at the tip of the ocean where Mt. Pyre once was.

"Is this related to that 'incident' you told me before?" Steven asked with a mixed reaction of awe and concern.

"That's not on me." The trainer standing in the middle of the trio responded. "For what Ethan told me, Lugia destroyed Mt. Pyre in their fight against Kyogre." Wally and Steven grimaced at the horrific vision of the ruins of a once sacred place.

"This Ethan… You trust him?" Asked the steel-haired man, his gaze trailing off to his left side.

"At first, I didn't. He is cheeky, mouthful and very odd in his constant flirting with people." Brendan had to suppress a little snort from escaping his mouth when he remembered the instance where Ethan tried to flirt with an oblivious Phoebe, just to get punched by his grumpy partner. "But Ethan is a good person at heart, and a fierce trainer at that too. He is Johto's Pokémon League Champion, that region's guardian and even more stunning is the fact that he surpassed that legendary trainer Red… Although Ethan always gets moody when you talk about that, I don't know why."

"Jeez, If I didn't know you well enough, I would say that you fell in love with this guy." Wally's jest earned him an eye roll and low grunts from his friend. "Come on, I never heard you talking about anyone like that."

"He's right." Steven jumped right in. "A bit strange, hearing you of all people talking about someone in such high regard."

"Are you two seriously getting jealous about this? Really mature… Just wait until you meet him, then you will see."

"Well, talking about meetings. What happened to you and that other you?" Wally's question picked Steven's maximum interest, his silvered eyes traveling toward Brendan's neutral face.

"Nothing much, we just nearly destroyed Hoenn…" An awful joke to make considering that they indeed almost torn the region apart, and his two friends frowning at him also helped to add at his guilt. "We made peace… Spiegel helped me save Mr. Stone from that crazy person, he also agreed to help against Rainbow Rocket. He is waiting for us in Ever Grande."

"I am still bashed by the idea of existing another you." Steven commented with a nervous little chuckle. "Before I left Hoenn, we were thinking that it was only an impersonator using a mask or makeup. How can there be two of you?"

"That first one was indeed a faker. He was using some type of mask to completely shapeshift to my appearance. Apparently, he died a long time ago." Brendan replied in all seriousness, pointing towards the ruins of Mt. Pyre. "Spiegel… that is more complicated. Rainbow Rocket found the remains of Deoxys and used it to create a clone of me. In fact, they used the same process to make that mask that the other guy was using."

Wally and Steven both took some steps backward, staring at Brendan's back with mouths agape.

"Deoxys?! That Pokémon-monster thing that almost crashed on the planet?" Steven said in utter horror and disgust, his reaction only getting worse as Brendan turned to him and nodded.

"T-that… that guy was Deoxys?!" Wally said right after, a little less disturbed than Steven but still shaken. "But we talked… we shared so much that day, he even cried… It was all a lie? A twisted joke?"

"Once he was Deoxys, a long time ago. Even then, he didn't have any idea of what he was doing." Brendan walked close to his friends, who looked outraged by his words.

"That thing almost killed all of us." Steven raged loudly. "Brendan, you stopped that monster yourself years ago, and now…"

"HE IS NOT A MONSTER!" Brendan roared in a full outburst, his angered voice surprising and silencing Steven's voice.

The people standing a bit far away from them all turned and glanced at the trio, some just got startled by the loud voice, while a few others felt too intrigued by it, walking closer and closer to get a glimpse of their conversation.

"Spiegel is me in almost every aspect. He has my memories; he has my fears and hopes… He even has the same weakness as me. He is afraid of being alone but way too stubborn to seek people on his own." Brendan wore the most conflicted and saddest façade when he spoke about his other-self. Feeling his chest heavy and his throat dry, the young champion turned away from the other two, his gaze landing on the calm ocean ahead of him. "Steven, just give him a chance before making up your mind. Even if it is not for our friendship, do it for your father. I would not be able to save your father if was not for him."

Steven was ready to protest, even his arms were standing up as if ready to argue in a heated manner. But his friend's words eventually got to him, making him frown and deflate from his angered reply. So instead, he lowered his head and nodded.

"Wait, so you are aware of your shitty antics about being alone and all that? Talk about being stubborn." Wally said with a goofy grin, making Brendan look at him and smile.

"Shut up, grassy head." After giving his 'smart' come back at his childhood friend, Brendan felt a strange presence popping up right in front of him, the sensation starting small as a little droplet but quickly raising up like an ever-expanding sea. "Go call everyone here." He said looking down at the little bubbles forming at the ocean's surface. "Our ride has arrived."

Wally and Steven trailed down the short grass path, calling every group as Brendan had asked and soon after everyone gathered around the brown-haired champion. People from every corner of Hoenn answered his call and that made Brendan feel proud and static, everyone is putting their faith in him and he will not fail them, not again.

"First I would like to thank everyone that came here today, everyone who has chosen to fight against this enemy." His eyes traveled from right to left, making sure to properly glance even for a second at each face he could see. "Now united at this place we will make our last detour until we can properly organize and strike back. Please, follow me."

His request got a couple of confused reactions from the crowd, that is until the young champion turned around and walked onto the cold waters. First, everyone thought he was going to ask them to swim all the way to the giant waterfall, something a lot of people frowned and was ready to reject. But then, he continued to walk and walk, each step taking him further away from dry land, yet his feet remained steady above the water.

Brendan noticed the gazes of awe coming from everyone, some were even drooling with how open their mouths are right now. Getting such an extraordinary reaction from everyone made him chuckle and feel fuzzy inside his chest. 'So, this is how it feels... Now I understand why Ethan behaves like that.' He shook his head twice before he could start a change in his personality that he would not like later. "Come." Brendan called his audience to come closer, one hand waving at them like a charming spell.

The first brave soul to step onto the water was Steven, he walked in with a confident grin on his lips, still feeling surprised when his feet remained steady and firm. With a little glance downward, he noticed why he could stand like this.

One by one, every trainer walked forward and stepped closer to Brendan. Letting cries of surprise and content after seeing that they also could stand on their feet on top of the water. After waiting for the last one to hop in, Brendan whistled loudly and a massive blue body erupted from beneath their feet. Some people fell on their bums, others on their knees; but every single one of them excluding Brendan, could not stand properly as Kyogre raised from the ocean, revealing his massive body.

At first, people panicked and tried to jump out of the blue titan's back, only to get whiplashed back by a tendril of water; something that made them panic even more. But as the massive Pokémon began to travel in a bearable speed, their nerves cooled down and instead of trying to jump in the cold waters below, they just enjoyed the view on this one in a lifetime opportunity of a trip.

"You managed to control Kyogre." Steven said with an approving and proud look.

He glanced back to his friend and smiled "Spiegel did." Steven's smile died out a bit, but he remained neutral in his reaction, Wally just raised a brow and May just nodded looking a somewhat lost. Flannery, standing at the edge of one of Kyogre's side, looked over to Brendan and then looked down to the massive beast, a shy little smile parting her lips apart.

" **No one controls me, ignorant brat."** Kyogre said in protest, but to everyone save from Brendan, he just roared randomly. And at his protest Brendan stormed out a healthy and thunderous laugh, just to make people stare at him even more confused.

It's funny how a sense of security can change people's perspective in less than ten minutes. The collective thought of every trainer from the moment of Kyogre's appearance forward was the idea of getting the hell out of this situation. The normal and safest idea to the average person in this situation; yet the sight of Brendan so carefreely standing in front of them, made way to a new wave of a single focused reaction, a reaction of pure enjoyment.

At that, from the moment they crossed the tight passage to the wider sea, the trainers, women and men, older and youngest, they all began to find and spot new little curiosity at the region they already know so much. Pictures got taken from impossibly beautiful views, normally unreachable but now so accessible because of Kyogre's height; Even a few more artistic trainers pulled out small sketchbooks and began to draw away the marvels available to them. This mood and atmosphere continued all the way through, only getting amplified as they reached the gigantic waterfalls which gatekeep Ever Grande from the normal public.

"That was one hell of a ride." Wally chirped in with a goofy happy grin. "But what now? You're not telling me that this massive dude here will swim upwards that current, are you?"

"That would be something else." May said with a child-like curiosity glinting in her eyes.

Brendan acknowledged their words with a short chuckle, as he kept his gaze focused high up instead of giving anyone else attention, all of his friends followed his line of sight and looked up to the summit of that massive fall. Looking down and back at them, a lone figure is standing on top of a single rock formation at the top end of the waterfalls. Standing against the sun, it is impossible to recognize this person, save from a few really standing out traits such as; their long locks of hair going as far down as his lower back, a tall physic of his stature and the most appealing and dangerous-looking one, the piercing gaze of two glowing sapphire blue eyes staring at them with a deadly focus.

" **Boy, warn your flock. I will not be responsible if they jump to their death."** Kyogre's voice echoed in the air, stunning the normal bystanders by the sheer force of his roar and also warning the one trainer standing on top of him that can actually understand his words.

Brendan nodded and turned his attention to the crowd standing behind him. "Attention everyone, please remain calm and stand quiet for a moment." He mulled an idea for a moment and then decided to share it. "This may be scary for the first moment, but just trust me on this one. To help keep your focus sharp, take your eyes up and look at the person up there." He pointed to that shadowy silhouette at the top of the falls and people quickly raised their gaze there.

Seeing the overwhelming and eagerly-reaching attention of those people, this mysterious person closed their eyes and slowly in a rhythmic pace, began to raise one arm in front of them.

From the firm skin of Kyogre's back, a thin line of water poured upwards. This line grew in a flash to cover the entirety of his backside, then it expanded in a weird manner, engulfing everyone inside its wet grasp, but putting no pressure on their body. Soon, a massive bubble had formed above Kyogre, this watery ball having swallowed each trainer inside of it.

Slowly and safely, this bubble began to raise up in the falls, leaving the sure and steady ground that was Kyogre's body. A few trainers ignored Brendan's advice and they looked down, instantly regretting and curling into a scared ball, the others after hearing such reactions decided that it was more than the best option to keep their gaze sorely focused on that lonely person above them.

Getting past the worse past by having floated above the crashing waters, they finally bypassed the natural gate of Ever Grande. Now standing above that person and they now standing against the sunlight, everyone could see a second Brendan, a long-haired one with a casketed arm pressed against his chest, standing on top of a not so big boulder with no barriers between him and the running water. Still he remained calm and with eyes closed, his hands moving slowly and patiently as if he is the one guiding their bubble to safety. Even now out of danger, people remained stuck gazing at that boy, mostly because of how can be two Brendans at the same time? Also, because how beautifully that scene looked to anyone seeing it.

Sadly, it took little time for the bubble to reach land and touch the ground, making them fall on the grass and behind the tree lines, losing any vision they had of that person.

"Well…" Brendan said calmly, getting their attention back to him. "Welcome to Ever Grande." His smile sparkled with a truly warm welcome. "Let's go to the city, everyone else is waiting there." He turned to the other side and began to walk.

"Wait!" Flannery raised her voice. "W-what ABOUT him?!" She asked, letting slip a bit of 'Flannery' in her words.

Brendan stopped and glanced back to the fiery girl. "Don't worry about him. He knows the way." He replied a little coldly, but gave his worried friend a special look as if to say only to her, 'He will be fine'.

* * *

Brendan is standing in the middle of the crowd with Steven, Drake, Wally and the blond woman named Cynthia, all of them speaking at turns and adding bits and pieces of information. To say that this meeting is of ultimate importance is an understatement, but a certain red-haired is paying little to no attention to their insights.

It is not right to say that Flannery does not care for Hoenn and the horrible state that everything is right now. However, she didn't come all the way here for that and the central point of her interest, the only point of her interest to be true, is sitting all by himself on a bench at the other side of the plaza, his back turned to the commotion as if he had no part in it.

She is watching him intently and has been like this ever since he made his presence known, which was a good half-hour ago. Not even once has he glanced towards her way or anyone's way to be precise, he has been just sitting there, quietly and in a depressive solitude.

A glance at Brendan and then back at Spiegel shows a clear difference between the two at the moment. Apart from the obvious difference in their hair length and the color of their eyes, there is also the most subtle of contrasts. Brendan is somehow radiant, brazen and confident, even his standing posture shows that. Spiegel, on the other hand, is gloomy, distant and hollow.

Staring at his back, the way his shoulders are hanging low and even the occasional sigh coming out of him. It is all too much to bear in silence and Flannery had enough of this. Quietly stepping back and away from the mass of people, she did a walked around the other street and got over to the same bench the boy is sitting.

Spiegel felt her presence as she stepped next to him. His head casually went up and his gaze met hers, a simple smile threatened to show on his lips but it did nothing more than just that as his head went down again and his eyes away from her.

"You could at least say hi." Flannery said as he stepped closer, taking a seat right beside him.

"Ah… Hi." He responded very weakly. "You should be back there. Don't you want to save your home region?"

"Don't you?" She quickly threw the question right back at him.

He shrunk even more on his form, his knees pressing against each other and his back arching forward. "This place means nothing to me."

"Do I mean nothing to you too?" Her question hit him like a flaming knife and she noticed how he jolted and froze at her words. Seeing a hint of anything as a reaction, Flannery continued. "And this, it had any meaning to you, Spiegel?"

Hearing his name broke any pretense of being tough that he has going for him, paired with the folded piece of paper on her hands, it was too much. Spiegel put his feet on the bench, completely curled down against his legs. "Forget about this… Flannery, you… You deserve better than me."

"Says who?" She replied with a frown, his sobbing words staring to grind on her nerves a bit. "What are you doing here? After that night you just vanished and now this? If you regret going out with me just say it."

He shook his head violently against his knees, his long hair dangling freely against the wind. "I would never regret that night, I couldn't even forget about it."

"THEN?!" Her voiced flamed up without her even noticing.

"You don't know what I am!" Spiegel jolted himself away from his leg, slamming his feet on the ground as he did. "You saw him, didn't you? I am not Brendan, I told you before, I. AM. NOT. HIM."

"I called you Spiegel, didn't I? I saw him and talked to him, but I still came here, didn't I?" Flannery got closer to him; she brought one hand up and rested it against his healthy arm. "Spiegel, what are you? Talk to me. Tell me… I am here for you."

He sighed in defeat, his sapphire gaze going upwards to her fiery red eyes. "An abomination, that's who I am." Disgusted at his own words, he scooted a little to the side letting her hand fall down on the hard bench. "A dead monster brought back to life just to be a clone of someone else. I… Gh…. I am not Brendan. I am his clone. A clone made with the remains of an evil being called, Deoxys. That is who I am."

"Deoxys…?" She stared at him in silent contemplation, the name while familiar to the young Gym Leader, does not strike any memory to her. "A clone… you're Brendan's clone then." She glanced back to the middle of the square but failed to see her friend. "How?"

"Rainbow Rocket made me. They probably wanted to create an evil clone of Hoenn's golden boy. A crazed monster ready to tarnish people's faith in their hero."

"They failed, and by a lot." Flannery moved closer to him again, this time putting her hand on top of his thigh. "You're not evil. You're not helping them. And I don't see a monster right in front of me." She got even closer, leaning in and resting her forehead on his shoulder. "I see a scared and silly boy, who wants to push everyone away and I don't know why."

"Because I am-"

"No, you're not. And stop saying that." She cut him quickly. Taking her hand up, Flannery pinched his cheek and then moved his face to look at her again. "And that is not why you're doing this, is it? If you were so scared of being hated, you wouldn't accept my invitation that day. You wouldn't get closer to me; you wouldn't… kiss me as you did. What is it? What are you hiding from me?"

Spiegel looked down at those charming eyes, feeling lost and astounded by her observation. He trailed his eyes away from her for just a moment, the words vent out from his mouth but just in a tiny lost whisper. Right then his mind traveled to recent memory, a very recent memory.

_'Do you believe him?' Spiegel asked Brendan, his eyes never more stern._

_'I… I do.' Brendan replied with all sincerity and as much as his chest ached right now, he had accepted the truth. 'Rayquza has no reason to lie to us.'_

_'I don't. I may be biased against that blasted dragon who killed me before. But I don't believe him.' Spiegel rested his back against his chair, letting the information sink and a dread feeling pooping up from inside of him. 'But if he is right… It should be me.'_

Spiegel's mind snapped back to reality to the present. He looked down at the girl next to him, her expression betraying her curiosity and her beauty making his heart flutter.

"I am not hiding anything…" He replied with a sad little grin.

"Promise?" She asked with puppy eyes.

"Yeah… I… Yeah…" He leaned closer to Flannery, pulling her a bit closer and kissing her right cheek. "Thank you, Flannery. I truly don't deserve you."

"You don't." Flannery giggles echoed like a sweet lullaby on his ears. Seeing a mellowing of his expression, she took the hard win she achieved and moved into a quick but sweet kiss. "So you better do something to be deserving, right? How about we start with this letter."

He gagged and shrieked in panic. Spiegel desperately tried to yank the damned thing out of her hands, but Flannery just laughed away as he pushed him away with one hand and held the letter far away from him with the other. With one of his arms completely immovable, the poor boy had little success in his attempt to overpower her and didn't help his case the fact of how strong and fit the girl is. At this point, Flannery is just teasing him with their little tug game.

Unknown to the young couple sharing a sweet moment, a pair of ruby watchful eyes witnessed most of their exchange. Seeing how Spiegel got pulled out of his depressing spiral of thoughts, Brendan felt relieved. As he turned to walk away and leave those two alone, he was surprised by another pair of red eyes, these ones watching him from very close by.

"Satisfied with how it went?" Zinnia asked both hands on her hips.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Brendan replied and quickly passed by her, with Zinnia turning and quickly following him.

"Really Brendan, you two locked yourselves in the bedroom for hours, talking about something I couldn't be part of for some reason. Then you watched him from the moment you woke up until now." She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. Her face showing her burning emotion quick clearly. "What's wrong? Share with me, what's happening with you two?"

Brendan looked at her eyes, his lips quivering with the same intention that Spiegel had before when the question was asked to him by a different person. His other self didn't give in, so he would not too. "Nothing, Zinnia. Ethan just asked me to see him as my brother… That just shook me a little bit." He walked forward and embraced his angry lover in a tight hug. "I promise you, love… Nothing is happening between us and nothing will happen… I promise you..."

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	33. Aqua

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Hey... I told you guys that I would release two chapters at the same time and all that. But seeing how much time I am taking to make those two in particular, I am just going to released chapter 33 and then continue to work on 34. I made a few adjustments to this one so it would make more sense without chapter 34, but oh well... Here it goes nothing, I guess._

* * *

"When we will start this?" One of the least patience trainers raised the question that most of them have at the moment.

Steven spared a glance at Brendan, seeing as the youngest was the one at the head of this strike force everyone is basically waiting for his approval for anything. As for the big champion himself… well, this pressure and expectation are not easy to deal with as he had spent most of his early adult life as a closed-in workaholic, and not really building leading or even proper communication skills.

Brendan looked at the overexcited man, giving him an off look. "We are still waiting for someone." He answers the question only to have twenty more being tossed at him. The poor young man had to close his eyes and rub the bridge of his nose to quell the forming headache.

"Please… rest your voice for a moment." Steven addressed the agitated crowd, getting their attention to him as he walked in front of his friend. "Brendan, let's at least coordinate the groups and the proper point of attack for each of them."

"I suggest that we focus on Mauville City and Slateport City." Wally added in before Brendan could say anything. "Things sound pretty dire there, kinda worrying dire. Plus, if we liberate those key spots, they will lose access to the TV news network and the biggest port of Hoenn."

"Sounds good." Brendan replied, giving his green-haired friend an approving grin. "We should spread everyone in two big and impactful groups instead of spreading us too thin."

"Hm… If we overtake them in a quick swoop, then we can spread on other groups from there and help the smaller towns." Steven nodded in accordance. "That can work. If we want to properly execute this, then some leaders should be designated to each group to make the proper call in the heat of the moment."

"Steven, can you lead the group to Slateport?" Brendan asked his silver-haired friend, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow for a moment but then just nodded. "Drake, I want you to take charge of the second group."

"That would be no problem, but what about you kid?" Drake tapped the tip of his hat, giving Brendan a curious look. "It sounds a bit strange for the one rallying everyone to not be in charge of one of those groups."

"I will not be going with you." He replied with a stern look in his glowing ruby eyes. "That giant floating thing is still out there. I have a hunch that whenever we start to fight back, they will retaliate using that as an advantage."

"So, you're going there and stopping that thing by yourself?" Drake asked back.

"Not alone…" Brendan's voice responded to the old dragon tamer, but it didn't come from the boy standing in the middle of the crowd. "I will follow him, even if he jumps into a dark damp hole." Spiegel's interjection stole a lot of gasps and whisper, people looking at him at his lone spot in the corner of the square.

"Of course, he is not doing this alone." Zinnia let her voice sound loud and clear. She walked with her commanding and strong stance, stopping right next to her boyfriend and clapping him on the shoulder. "As if I would let my cute Brenny risk his pretty little neck all by himself."

Brendan exchanged looks with his girlfriend, she staring at him with the biggest grin ever, while he just quirks his eyebrows a little bit. "As you can see old-man. I am not alone in this." He replied to Drake with a smile of his own.

"HEEEELLOOO PEOPLE!" An echoing voice sounded from above the town, catching every spectator by surprise, their shock, however, was pale and weak in comparison to how they felt when the ground shook and their feet suddenly got ejected into the air as a massive body slammed down at the open space between the sole trees of the plaza. With eyes as open as they could get, every trainer glanced to their left, their gaze landing on the impressive form of a legendary Pokémon. To their wonder and a bit of fear, Lugia spread his wings far wide and unleashed a powerful roar, making even the member of Hoenn's Elite Four protected their ears from that monstrous sound.

Ethan stared down at the mesmerized faces of his audience and his satisfaction skyrocketed, especially after his lackluster response to the abandoned city of Rustboro. Sitting behind him, embracing his body with a tight and strong grip, is a distressed red-haired. Silver still shivering from his companion's crazy shenanigans, he felt his heart slow down a bit after their explosive landing and as his nerves got back on track, he made a casual low sound on the back of his throat and jumped down of the white giant bird. Sadly, for the poor boy, despite his best attempt to play cool he made a little show of himself as he walked away from Lugia, legs wobbling and weak after the whole ordeal.

The golden-eyed star jumped down from his trusted Legendary Pokémon with much more class and poise than his lover did. Ethan landed down with a cool pose, holding his head down to hide his bright smirk. "So," He called out to the still dumbfounded crowd. "Are you guys ready to dismantle this invasion?"

Be his stern sounding question or his remarkable entrance, everyone's went into a frenzy of shouts and heated words after Ethan's words, boosting their own moral to the fight ahead of them.

The now beaming Johto's champion, trailed next to his red-eyed friend, giving Brendan a healthy clap on his back. "Are you ready?" He asked his friend directly.

Brendan nodded and clapped Ethan back on his back with the same amount of strength. "You bet."

"Good, because I will need you to be." Ethan's golden eyes traveled all around searching for the sapphire-eyed boy and as he found him, a soft grin broke his lips apart. "Both of you." Taking two fingers to his lips, Ethan blew a loud and fierce whistle, the sound of it breaching even the energetic voice of the numerous trainers around them.

A little ball of little floated down from above, swirling a couple of times around Ethan and then settling at a comfy spot on his hair. **"No candy?"** Echoed a soft child-like voice, a voice that only three people out of everyone here could hear.

"I gave you candy not that long ago, don't be greedy." Ethan waved one finger in disapproval, the little ball of light on top of him making a sad little sound and them losing its shine, taking the form of a green little Pokémon. "See this guy right here?" Giving her small frame a few tickles with his fingers, Ethan pushed her moody features away and quickly pointed to Brendan right in front of him.

Celebi brought her huge eyes to the young champion's face and nodded.

"He will give you lots of candy." Ethan said with a wicked grin. "He has a huge treasure chest full of candies, every flavor, and every color." The little timekeeper stared at Brendan as if he was made of candy himself, her eyes getting even bigger and her little mouth wide open with awe. "But, he will only share with you if you do us a small favor."

" **I'll do it!"** Celebi replied right away, her tiny voice sounding a lot more powerful now. Even forgetting about her shyness, the small onion-head floated up and away from Ethan's head and slowly floating closer to Brendan. **"What you want?"** She asked the red-eyed champion himself. **"A small peek in the past or a little stop two days ahead… I'll help you, but the meanie will be angry."**

"Ah... Ethan?" Brendan diverted his eyes away from the eager Pokémon dangling in front of him. "I don't have any-"

"SIMPLER THAN THAT!" Ethan shouted in an attempt to overlap Brendan's voice, which he managed to do quite well as Celebi turned back again to look at him. With two large steps, he quickly went to his friend's side and locked him in a neck hold. 'Just go with it and feed her any candy you can find.' He whispered for only to Brendan to hear, making the brown-haired youth even more confused. "So, here is the deal my adventurous short-stuff. I need you to stay with Brendan for the time being and help me communicate with him through our link."

" **Just that…?"** Celebi eyed her long-time friend with a shadow of suspicion in her eyes.

"Yep." Ethan replied with a bright grin. "Easy as that."

" **Okay… I can do it."** Celebi gave a little nod and a small smile to the two of them, she then went up and sat upon Brendan's head. **"The meanie will not get mad with just this."**

"You're amazing as always." Ethan's words and the small pat he gave her in the head made Celebi smile even more, her little feet dancing up and down. To everyone's strangeness to the scene, Ethan crouched beside Brendan and sunk his hand onto one of his friend's pockets. "Oh… look at this!" He proclaimed with an exaggerated act, then yanked his hand out carrying a little bag of round candies with it. "Look, he is the king of candies!" He raised the small bag in front of Celebi, his other hand going to his mouth as he faked surprise.

" **Ooohhh.** " Poor Celebi fell way too easily to the foxy trainer's act, she stared at the candies with sparkly eyes, giving a few glances down to Brendan.

Brendan, Steven, Wally, and Zinnia all stared at Ethan as if he had a second head. His behavior always fled the ground of common sense, but now he was a standing a bit far from that line. And yet, to the golden-eyed menace's pleasure, the crowd gasped and applauded his little trick of magic. The youngsters of the trainers being the more impressed by his display, of course a pair of sapphire eyes watched Ethan smile and bow his head to his audience, a whimsical curiosity taking over Spiegel.

Ethan eyed Brendan again, giving him a stern look for the first time since he arrived. "Brendan, while we will be all busy, fighting and all that stuff. I will leave my little friend here with you. That way we will be able to talk with each other in a split of a moment. Please, take care of her and keep her safe."

" **E-E-Ethan…"** Celebi's voice stuttered, her little body trembling as she clenched the small bag of candies close to her **. "The meanie…"**

He didn't need her warning to feel it, Ethan felt all to well the immense pressure looming from the sky. It felt like the height of the world itself was coming down on top of him. The bubbly, happy and easygoing champion froze in place, a scowl twisting his expression. To say that Ethan's sudden change scared everyone is an understatement, the people who were laughing and cheering up ever since his appearance, all went silent and cold with fear.

Jerking his body forward, Ethan started a reckless sprint. "Brendan, you take care of her!" He shouted without turning, hastily making way to Lugia on the other side of the open area. The giant Legendary, who was gazing upwards to the sky in a frantic manner, only waited until Ethan jumped to his back, then with a mighty roar, the mighty Pokémon took off to the sky, vanishing away from view behind the clouds.

As Ethan fled Ever Grande, a gigantic shadow enveloped the entire island. It felt as if the sun had gone cold and hiding, making a twilight scene out of the early noon. Then from within the grey raging clouds, the figure of an impossibly large phoenix stormed down onto the town. People screamed and cowered in fear as Ho-Oh soared down upon them. The might beast flew so close that the trees bent down, creaking sounds coming from them as gushes of wind wiped any dust from the ground. With a spare glance to the people bellow him, Ho-Oh searched for his target and found a feint trance of him, a lead, that was enough for the imposing Phoenix to cry loudly, painfully and deafening loudly, then fly at high speed after his runaway guardian.

"What… W-what was that?" Wally asked, still holding both hands against his ears.

"I don't know." Brendan replied, looking just as shocked as everyone else.

" **That's the meanie… That one was Ho-Oh, the ruler of Johto."** Celebi's replied sounded like nothing more as an afraid little cry for everyone else besides a certain duo of trainers.

"Ho-Oh?" Brendan said, looking upwards but failing to see the small green Pokémon on top of his head. "Wait, isn't that the deity he spoke about? Why is Ho-Oh here and why are you two so scared of him?"

" **I don't know why he is here…"** She replied still shivering. **"But he is a meanie, that's why we don't like him… At least I don't."**

Steven chuckled from his spot, surprisingly enough he looked unfazed by the whole ordeal. "You were right about something." He said to Brendan. "What a crazy first impression he gave me, wow."

"We were waiting for that guy, right?" Wally asked. "Now what?"

With the question laid to him, Brendan diverted his gaze upwards to the sky. He watched the board vacuum line Ho-Oh left on the sea of clouds, like a searing arrow flying towards its victim. 'Is he going to be okay?'

* * *

To cross the skies in a rocket-speed is a little feat that Ethan is more than accustomed to by this point in his life, but doing so while frantically swinging his head left and right is wearing him down more than he expected to.

"C… C… Can you sense anything?" His voice cracked, his jaw having a hard time to move properly against the harsh winds.

" **Why are you asking me? You're the one bound to him."** Lugia spat angrily, the giant bird avoiding each clump of clouds in awareness of what could be inside.

"STOP!" Ethan shouted suddenly, his agitated voice startling Lugia.

As the young human asked, Lugia stopped in a rough swing of his wings, forcing Ethan to hold the bird's feathers with a life-saving grip. A whooshing sound echoed from the right, and then a swift shadow crossed from the left, at each movement an eerie mood settling around the two.

'He looks pissed…' Ethan straightened himself on Lugia's back, whispering these words as he did so.

" **Is my feisty guardian afraid?"** Ho-Oh's deep voice sounded from everywhere.

"Ha! You know that is not possible." Ethan replied with a confident grin.

A gush of wind flew in from behind, forcing Lugia to raise his height. **"Then why did you flee?"**

"Come on Ho-Oh, give me some credit. You took my ability of feeling fear, but not my self-preserving instincts." Ethan said with a sigh. "What you expected me to do when you dive bomb the place with a furious killer intent aimed at me?"

" **Hoo… I can take those words as a declaration of respect coming from you?"** A vigorous laugh exploded from the Phoenix, making Lugia and Ethan feel chills in their skins. Casting shadow over the already massive Lugia, Ho-Oh erupted from the clouds right in front of the white bird, rainbow quills shining with the power of the sun. **"How pleasing to see such humbling act coming from you."**

"Yeah, humbling and respectful… all the joy to you. Now, have you come here just to scare the pants out of everybody or…?"

" **Here comes the defying tongue again… such is life."** Ho-Oh said not too pleased, but not visible angry. **"I warned you of the impending danger, yet you have not heeded my words. Have you made up your mind? It is not too late to leave this land behind and avoid the ever consuming darkness."**

"Sorry man, no can do." Ethan replied with a simple waving of her hand. "I am not as spineless to just care about my own skin and leave these people to their own luck. Besides, it would not be very 'guardian' of me to just run away when things get hard, would it?"

" **Indeed… Have it your way, Ethan. I will respect your choice and I will overlook your little transgression this morning with a certain time-keeper who doesn't keep the strings of time away from you."**

"Really?" Ethan beamed with a bright smirk. "Then, have you give any thoughts of actually helping in this?"

" **Don't push it, boy."** Ho-Oh's stern response just made the goofy trainer laugh right back at him. **"Although… I see fit to share something with you. A gift, if you will…"** Unleashing a bold, beautiful cry, Ho-Oh spread his wings against the sunlight, two rainbows raining down from him. From this shower of light, two little feathers slowly floated down, pairing in front of Ethan, waiting to be picked up.

Ethan reached forward with one hand, taking the marvelous quills in his fingers and bringing them closer. Then within his grasp still, one of the feathers set itself ablaze, even burning the young champion slightly.

"Gaaah! What was that for?" He glared at his patron with a pair of angry golden eyes.

Ho-Oh chuckled and shook his head. **"To make your ambitions true in this dooming ordeal, I am sharing the power of miracles with you."** The might Phoenix got closer, pointing with his golden peck to the ashes lingering on Ethan's hand. **"One feather for one miracle. As you can see, you already wasted one."**

"What?! How did I waste a miracle in the middle of nowhere?" He spat back to the massive red bird.

" **To see where your eyes cannot. I don't have the gift of omnipresence, neither do you. Only with a miracle can you reach your enemies before they set the world on ruins."** From Ho-Oh two beams of light erupted and traveled from him to the sky, making clear serpentine roads to two specific locations in Hoenn. **"Follow the lights and you shall meet your foes."** Letting his own body be lit in burning flames, Ho-Oh cried loudly and flapped his wings in powerful yet graceful movements, taking flight to the heights even higher. **"Make haste my champion, and pray that you do not meet the embodiment of hatred."**

Ethan looked to the two trails, somewhat recognizing both places where they traveled to. "A golden road to the treasure chest, huh?" He hummed a little song and grinned as he closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts. "Every tale needs its ending. This is yours, Giovanni."

* * *

"Brendan, I stayed mostly quiet the whole time before. But we can't stay put and keep waiting for Ethan." Zinnia interjected in the middle of the group for the first time. "He is quite strange, remember all the antics he pulled on us when you asked him to teach you some stuff?"

Brendan sighed, deeply. He clearly remembers the exhaustive process of keeping up with his senior guardian. "I… when you put it like that…"

From one of the corners, a silent red-haired covered his face in embarrassment. He was present in most of said antics of his boyfriend and was even the cause of one of them, when Ethan refused to leave his bed until Silver said good morning to him, to which the proud and hardheaded boy refused to comply just to spite the other one.

" **Bi!"** A sudden noise echoed from atop of Brendan's head, Celebi closing her eyes and her cute little antennas twitching wildly as she concentrated.

" **Hello… Brendan, can you hear me over there?"** Out of nowhere, Ethan's voice began to broadcast from within Celebi's little body.

"Ethan?! Yeah… We can hear you." Brendan decided to say we as differently from whenever Celebi was talking, everyone paid attention to Ethan's words clearly hearing him. "Are you okay? Ho-Oh almost squished Ever Grande and then chase madly after you."

" **Haha, don't worry about me, I am fine and dandy. Ho-Oh just wanted to give us some spooks, he is funny like that."** Ethan's carefree laugh sounded off, getting a strange echo as his voice got overshadowed by strong blows of wind. **"Listen, I just had a quick chat with the big guy himself and after some strategic moves coming by yours truly, he helped me track two of our major objectives."**

Steven quirked a brow, he stepped forward and closer to Brendan, unsure of how to communicate properly with this trainer, but letting his voice sing anyway. "You may want to get up to speed with the meeting we are having." The stone-scion said stoically. "We decided to strike and liberate Mauville and Slateport, those are our major objectives."

" **Who's that?"** Ethan voiced his confusion over the third voice. **"Never mind, that doesn't matter now. Cool ideas bro, I liked it a lot. Cut their means of communication and the massive entrance port, really like it, proud of ya. But there is an even bigger fish we need to fry. Giovanni brought two dangerous creatures over to Hoenn and if we don't stop them before they merge their powers…"**

"Giratina." While the common reaction from Brendan's words was a silent confusion, a soft gasp could be heard from within the group. Steven was the one to notice it the most, taking some time to glance from Brendan to a disturbed Cynthia.

" **Bingo. So, you know about the big baddie, huh?"**

"A little bit." Brendan responded. "Rayquaza warned me about this creature and how important it is to stop it from coming forward."

" **That is the thing. Ho-Oh gave me the exact location of those two. I don't know exactly who is where, but I do know this… Palkia and Dialga… One is being kept in Sootopolis, somewhere deep down in there and the other at the top of Mt. Chimney."** Another powerful gush of wind interrupted Ethan's speech, showing how fast he is traveling while talking. **"Right now, I am going to Mt. Chimney, since is the farthest place from Ever Grande. Someone needs to answer the other part on Sootopolis."**

"I will go." An almost instant reply came from behind the crowd. People turned in surprise to once again stare at Spiegel's unfazed expression. "I will deal with whatever is in Sootopolis."

Brendan looked at his other-self, gut-wrenching guilt flared inside of him. Biting his lower lip in frustration and anger, he slowly lowered his head before talking. "Are you sure?"

Spiegel snorted, waving one hand in front of him in dismissal. "I told you yesterday, it has to be me."

"I AM GOING too!" Flannery's voice stormed from behind the blue-eyed youth, even startling him.

Looking back at the red-haired fiery girl, Spiegel allowed himself a short but grateful smile which soon turned into a stern frown. "That you will not." He replied without a hint of warmth in his words. "This is my job and I am doing this alone."

"WHAT?! WHY?" She looked at him with a watchful glare. "They said that something bad is hiding in there, MAKES NO SENSE for you to go alone."

"It is not up to debate!" Spiegel growled angrily, his sapphire eyes throwing a piercing glare back to the girl, making Flannery take two steps backward. "If you want to help, do whatever Brendan asks you to. I will be going alone and that's final." With that said, Spiegel promptly stepped away from the center of the city, leaving a dumbfounded and even hostile group of witnesses glaring at his back. From the people's point of view, he had no need to be so rude to the poor Gym Leader and the fact that a few tears glowed on the side of her eyes, only serves to make their dislike grow bigger.

"Spiegel, wait!" Flannery went right after him.

" **Hey Brendan, a have another heads-up for you all."** Ethan's voice pulled everyone's attention back to Celebi. **"Just moments ago, I sighted Giovanni's flying toy. They were heading very fast towards that huge tower close to Sootopolis. Whatever it is, he is in a hurry."**

"Sky Pillar?" Brendan shared a quick glance with Zinnia. "I got it, I will go after them."

"We will." The draconic girl quickly corrected her lover, to which he obliged with a single nod and a short grin.

" **Ah, do me a favor, will ya. Please take Silver with you. Not only he will be a helpful guide while dealing with Rainbow Rocket, he… he also has some stuff to get straight with his old man."**

Brendan noticed the grumpy red-haired young man walking closer to the crowd, still maintaining his self-space. Silver looked over to Brendan and gave him a firm nod, receiving a nod himself from the young champion. "Okay, we will go there together."

" **Cool, we will talk again later…"** A strange silence remained but Ethan's presence had not left Celebi's concentration, he measured the worlds and the height of their mission. **"Brendan, when everything is done and over with, I will buy you a drink. Good luck out there, champ."**

"Yeah… good luck to you too." In the mere seconds of hesitation Brendan took to say the words back, Celebi had already opened her eyes, weakly laying down over his soft hair. Letting out a soft whimper, being visibly tired, the tiny green Pokémon hugged her little bag of candies in a vain effort to hold onto it as her body slowly vanished back to her little special place. Soon, her valuable possession fell on the ground; she was gone from Ever Grande.

"This is it then?" Steven stepped forward. "Should we commence it now?"

Taking a forward step, Brendan tapped the back of his right hand on his friend's chest, giving him a wide smile. "Let's take Hoenn back."

A deafening roar exploded, trainers letting their voices echo loudly without recourse. The most experienced among them quickly getting the other's attention and organizing a functioning party next to their two pillars, Steven and Drake. With this rush of people going everywhere and talking all over each other, Brendan had little room to say anything else to Steven, Wally, May or even his colleagues of the Elite Four. Yet, seeing his people so heated and ready to defend themselves, that imagery brought a huge smile to his face.

Carried away in his own thoughts, the young champion of Hoenn failed to notice the girl and the boy circling closer to him, only breaking his little trance when Zinnia gave him a small tug on his arm.

"Let's go?" She called to him.

"Sure… just give me one brief moment." Brendan brought Zinnia close to him, grazing her cheek with one of his thumbs. "You two go over the sea of flowers and get the king of dragons up to speed. I will meet you two there."

"This again?" Zinnia frowned at him, putting both hands on her waist. "Really Brendan, what is going on with you two?"

Even if it is not something Brendan likes to do and he truly hates to make his draconid girlfriend mad, but he just ignored her words, turning around and walking away.

'Sorry, Zinnia… This is between us.' He raised a hand above his shoulders, giving a weak little wave to her.

* * *

"I WILL NOT accept this." Flannery's voice raged on the silent steps to the waterfalls. Despite her best efforts, he was not stopping or slowing down. So she did the only thing she could do and grabbed his arm, pulling him forcedly back and getting in front of him. "Spiegel, you promised me. You promised that you were not hiding anything… What is this?"

He looked away, making sure that his eyes were fixated the grass next to his feet.

"TELL ME!"

"I can't!"

Finally getting a proper reply from him caught Flannery's off-guard, it was an answer and a confirmation of sorts, but now she was just getting angrier. "I can't understand you… In one moment you are the sweetest person I've ever met, then the other you are this bitter man full of secrets. Which one is the real you? I… I can't do this if you're going to flip like that at a moment's notice." She stared at him, waiting for any reply. As the seconds passed and he remained there, looking down and away from her, she felt her chest get tight and her patience getting smaller. "If you're not going to talk, then…"

Flannery released her grip on his arm and walked past him, fighting the urge to spot and look at her side, as she stood right next to him.

"I don't want you to get hurt." He said in quiet desperation, his words flying out of his mouth as soon as he felt her getting farther away from him.

Hearing him, Flannery stopped. She turned around and looked at his back. She noticed his frame shrinking down a bit, shoulders trembling and even his loose arm quivering while he stood there on the same spot. "You're hurting me right now." She replied back and walked away, making a slow trip back to the city.

That hurt, those words coming from such an innocent and sweet girl almost broke Spiegel down in half. He wanted to do the right thing, turn his heels around and run right after her, to get closer to her and never let her go away. Yet, the fact that he cannot is making this ten times worse than it already was.

"You don't need to do this." Brendan walked out from behind one of the trees of the path. His uninvited comment earned him a heated glare from his other-self.

"Don't I? If I don't do it, then what is going to happen?" Spiegel spat back, turning to the right to properly look at Brendan.

Brendan frowned in his lack of answer, even worse; in his guilt, he forced his gaze away from the other boy. "Last night… You said that you don't believe him." His eyes darted back to those sapphire gems. "That Rayquaza is wrong, so why are you so hell-bent in doing this alone?"

Spiegel sighed, resting his good arm on the back of his neck. "I don't and I don't want to believe that dragon. If I am right, then I will prove for him, once and for all, my worth, but… If by any chance, I am wrong... If it was you in my place, would you bring Zinnia with you?"

"No… Never…"

A shy smirk parted the blue-eyed boy's lips apart. "It just hurts to think that in the end, if I make her hate me too much, Flannery will just resent and then forget about me."

"She won't. I've known that crazy girl for a long time. She is way too nice and caring to think that way." Brendan curses softly under his breath, he stressed this idea on the back of his mind the entire night, but now is finding more and more difficult to accept it. "Spiegel, maybe we…"

"Stop!" He cut his twin before he could say something stupid. "I accepted this. Not for you or because I am some altruistic saint. This is the right thing to do for everyone. Brendan, it has to be me."

"With you speaking like that… it really feels like you are my stupid younger brother."

"Ha! You wish! I am the older one."

They shared a warm laugh for a good couple of minutes. Spiegel letting his woes escape from his in this way, while Brendan is letting something else escape, some cold tears at the corner of his eyes.

"You know what? I will side with you on this one." He said sheepishly, getting a quirk from Spiegel's eyebrows. "Here." Brendan took one Poké-Ball out of his pockets and presented it to his twin. "I will have faith in you and to make sure that you win the bet. Take this friend with you… He helped me a lot when I was in danger."

Spiegel took the little ball in his hands, giving it a long stare for a few moments and then glancing upwards to Brendan's expecting red gaze.

"Ah-ah! Don't open it until you need it." Brendan said with a jesting tone. "Let's keep this one a surprise."

The blue-eyed twin shook his head at Brendan's antics, yet his grin was getting bigger and bigger, a warm sensation crossing over his chest over this small act. "It doesn't matter who is inside. I have faith in them, in every single one of them… It may be just a fabrication of my head but to me… they are my best friends in the world."

"He will be glad to know that." Brendan replied with a bright smile. "Take care out there, brother."

With mouth open and words at the tip of his tongue, Spiegel failed to reply. He gagged, sniffled and sobbed. Surprising Brendan and even more himself, the sapphire-eyed boy dashed forward and embraced his twin in a tight hug, even ignoring the annoying pain that he feels in his broken arm in this position.

"Yeah…" He said weakly. "See you later… brother." In his moment of fragility, Spiegel failed to notice a sudden movement on his twin's part. Without making a sound to it, Brendan slid downwards on the height of his so-called brother and sneaked a little rock inside one of Spiegel's pockets.

* * *

Landing on the secluded sea-hugged city was like a strange déjà vu. Silent, grey and devoid of any warm, a copy image of Rustboro minus the rampant destruction. Walking on that desolated mess with Ethan by his side was a jarring experience in itself, but doing it now by himself is a terrifying thing to do. Feeling his cold feeling creeping up on his skin, Spiegel took his own time to wander inside the isolated place.

Took little time after stepping inside the more house populated part of Sootopolis for a strange chorus of groans and other muffled noises to appear. Still having some images from that haunted hospital stuck in his mind, Spiegel felt difficult to proceed forward, making his pacing twice as slow, that until he spotted the source of said voices; a group of knocked out innocent citizens, most lying with their bellies against the ground.

Forgetting about his fears and traumas, Spiegel darted over to them, kneeling in front of a couple of young trainers. "Hey, can you two hear me?" He carefully pushed the boy with a strong tug on his back but got no response other than a pained grunt. "What happened here?" He raised his gaze to the rest of the people in the same condition. "Is anyone conscious here?!"

"B-Brendan…" A weak male voice sounded in a reply.

"Wallace?!" Spiegel jumped, getting straight on his feet. Running towards Sootopolis' famous fashionista, he grabbed Wallace before his wobbling legs gave out and his body could fall on the street's floor. "Why is everyone like this? Who did this?"

"I-I… I tried to stop her… That thing was too strong…" the older man fell like a ragdoll on Spiegel's arms, in his last strengths he forced one hand up and pointed to the center of Sootopolis. "Stop… her…" After handing his desperate plea, Wallace gave out like the rest of the city.

Carefully resting Wallace on the warm concrete floor, Spiegel turned his gaze to the ominous gape-open entrance of the fabled cave. From his memories, he knows this place, Brendan's memories. The time where he went after Groudon and stopped the giant ruby titan from destroying the world.

Normally, the young doppelganger would feel thrilled to get a chance to live what his other self once experienced, a real heroic adventure. However…

' _What now echoes twice shall once again return to one.'_ Brendan's words from last night crossed Spiegel's mind once again.

' _Tomorrow, a light will vanish from this world. So thousands more may keep shining.'_

The dragon king's prophecy scared Brendan out of his mind, the poor champion barely had any sleep last night with the turmoil that was taking place inside his head. Spiegel, on the other hand, feels almost close to nothing, for he has not a doubt in his mind that…

"It has to be me." Steeling his nerves to what he offered himself to, the young trainer took a long breath and then marched head-on inside the mythical cave of origins.

* * *

The sound of running magma echoes faintly inside this place, like a calm river just witnessing the true display of sounds and light at the core of this place. Massive crystals popping out from the river of flames, pink in color and light but sparkling with a reddish glow. From the ceiling hangs the source of every energy floating within this place of power, a truly beautiful and terrifying formation of upside-down spires of glowing yellowish crystals, trembling with energy, sending jolts across the room, the very definition of legendary.

"Ah… For a moment, I thought the brilliant young champion had grassed me with his company." The busty blond woman, second in charge of Rainbow Rocket, called out from the middle of the room. "But it seems that it is the failure who has come instead."

Standing passively on top of a little rock elevation at the other side of the room, Leyla is quietly observing the glowing power source. Different than every other occasion, this time she is wearing a very eye-catching attire, made of a black buttoned shirt with long arms, the top three buttons out of their sockets, letting her large bosom almost completely at view, save only by her athletic red bra. On her lower side, she is using a long dress; a battle styled one, dark and black as her shirt with an open gap on the left side, making her thigh very visible. Lastly, are those hard-leather grey high heels boots, enhancing her already big stature.

She turned her eyes away from the glowing majesty in front of her, making a disgusted face as he addressed Spiegel's arrival.

"Why are you here?" He asked, not making any efforts to hide his own displeased frown. "This is a sacred place; your type is not welcomed here."

"My type?" The mature-looking woman busted in a fit of laughter. "And what is my type? Could you spare a few words explaining or is that too hard for your, abomination?"

Her insult managed to grind on his nerves, making the young doppelganger step forward and away from the entrance, baring his teeth at her. "Why did you attack them? They are innocent people!"

"Another assumption of yours. Listen, dear, I didn't move a finger." She replied with a shrug. "Those annoying peasants made very clear they would stay in my way, so my escort here simplified the situation." She showed an evil grin on her lips, and then waved her head upwards, pointing to something above them.

Spiegel's gaze followed her motion, his sapphire-colored eyes soon landing on the sight of a massive creature floating just behind the giant upside-down formation of crystals. The pinkish biped dragon glared down at him, its red eyes shining with a murderous glint. Palkia crooked its head to the side, letting out a monstrous roar.

The young man froze for a moment; the howling feeling was way too real as that deep voice resonated inside his mind. 'One light for a thousand others…' Spiegel repeated this sentence inside his head, this mantra giving him the strength to push his hesitation away and letting him approach even further inside the unstable cave.

"Whatever you're doing down here, It has to end." He said, glaring at Leyla. "This is my mission and I will do it, no matter the cost."

"Ho… bold words. Such a big statement for someone so… little." She spat with a notion of dismissal, clearly not threatened by a boy who has only one functioning arm and a trembling semblance on his face. "Oh well, it falls to the hands of the leaders to clean up the messes of their lesser… You, my deluded freak, is a mess of our own creation… WHICH I WILL BE CLEANING NOW!"

Letting out a terrible screech, the crazed woman did an impressive midair spin, three Poké-Balls flying out from her dancing long skirt and landing right in front of Spiegel. One Magmortar, an aggressively angered Electivire and a swift Gliscor appeared from within their balls, each posing their own size of threat and with three different levels of rabid rage to their eyes.

Spiegel fumbled in with his pockets in subtle desperation, taking out his Poké-Balls proving to be an excessively hard task with one of his arms, his best one, mostly unusable inside that casket. Still in his struggle, he tossed his original set of three Poké-Balls in front of him, his team of three popping up, promptly staring up against their opposition.

There was no more trade of jabs or any commentary at all, the two trainers only stared at each other and poised themselves to the battle ahead of them.

Leyla stepped forward, sweeping her right arm forward. "Magmortar, use **Fire Blast**." She yelled her command and her large fire Pokémon responded.

Rocking both arms upwards, Magmortar unleashed an inferno of flames towards the three Pokémon in front of him at the same time. Spiegel's team reacted in instant time, no words needed; Armaldo in his heavy frame dodged backward, Absol jumped above the fire wave and landing next to the flying purple bat, Sandslash dug herself a short tunnel from her spot all the way to the ground below Electivire.

From there, Absol and Sandslash engaged their opponent in a close battle, with the fierce earth crawler digging up a hole, jumping right up to the surface to deliver a powerful slash and them digging right back down. Absol just refrained his moves to keep Gliscor from ever taking flight.

Watching the start of a disparity on their duel, Leyla gritted her teeth in anger. "Electivire, just blast a massive **Thunder Bolt** inside one of those holes, THEY ARE CONNECTED!" She spat madly in anger. "Magmortar, just don't stand there, blow that stupid Absol to bits." As she wailed her order as a mad banshee, their Pokémon looked as if they were getting more and more enraged, in reaction to that also getting stronger.

Electivire roared pounded his chest, the sound almost too loud as if he was breaking his bones or tearing his muscles at each pound. Lightning began to crackle at the tip of his hands and then he clashed both members against the ground, unleashing a devastating storm of thunder inside the tunnels. Yet, from all the noise he was making with his attack, he and his trainer failed to notice the shuffling sound coming from right below his feet. Sure enough, Sandslash came flying from the ground, talking the huge electric ape on the ground, face first inside one of the holes. As the earth-spiky Pokémon casually danced between the yellow rays coming from the holes, Electivire ate one portion of his own thunder without any chance to defend himself.

Right behind those two, Magmortar is aiming with his right arm at the white canine struggling with Gliscor. Molten energy forming at the gaping black hole at the fire-type cannon, ready to unleash its fury on the unsuspecting Absol. Then, the huge weight of Armaldo's claw clashed against Magmortar's back, making the impressive beast whimper in pain and tumble forward, losing all the energy he was amassing on his hand.

Leyla watched the scenes unfold in front of her eyes, her nerves grinding and a vein almost popping from her forehead. "What are you two doing…?" She hissed through her clenched teeth. She then threw a dagger-sharp glare at Spiegel, sizing him up with a sense of disbelief in her eyes. "No commands… He said nothing, and I am loosing?" She said to herself a bit too loudly, her words succeeding in reaching the young man's ears.

Seeing her clear shock in the difference, Spiegel just scoffed at the blond woman. "You called me a failure and a freak." He said, a slight frown forming in his features. "But you fail to realize something. In here." Taking his usable arm up, he tapped his left temple. "Everything that Brendan is, is right here, inside my head. You and him… that's a difference in skill that is meaningless to try and measure how much it is. With that said, you have no chance of beating me."

His provocation worked like a charm as the blond woman snarled at him with full spite. However, how much she wants to open her mouth and denial everything that the boy just said to her, the gap between their skills is way too huge and blatant. Someway, somehow, his team is coordinated enough to match her own movements without a word coming from him. This realization brought up an immense sense of dread to the otherwise confident Enforcer, but with his hopeless feeling also came desperation.

"Ha… hahaha…. HAHAHAHAHA!" As if taken by madness, Leyla tossed her arms upwards and began to laugh away. From one of her hands, a distracting glint shining true. A round black sphere, which is reflecting the powerful light from the upside-down pillars above. "But of course, what else could I expect from a guardian. Abomination or not, still you are made from the invincible champion's cells. But, this is far from over… boy." She clenched the dark sphere on her hands, and Palkia responded with a frenzied screech.

Palkia's pained voice echoed all around, the majestic Pokémon trashing and growling, obviously suffering from whatever she did to him.

"Magmortar, use **Overheat.** " Leyla commanded; her voice surprisingly calm and tempered.

Following his mater command, Magmortar let his body be consumed by a coat of fire. Using this newfound energy enveloping his form, the fire-Pokémon threw himself at the closed target next to him, the stern Armaldo.

Reading his opponent's move, Armaldo stepped to the left, letting the already cracked ground carry his weight away from the attack. Magmortar speed by Armaldo's side like a derailed truck, missing his target.

A wicked smirk crossed Leyla's lips as he waited for the inevitable.

Therefore, the inevitable, the impossible happened. Magmortar's huge and heavy body just vanished from his spot, as if a thin layer of cloth was just blown away by a gush of wind, he disappeared. It was too quick, rather, to sudden for Armaldo do respond as his opponent just appeared in front of him, out of nowhere the attack that has just missed its mark, now clashed at full force and twice the speed against the blue chitin of the unsuspecting Pokémon.

Spiegel's eyes widened in surprise. He, who was in the advantage of their battle, now saw one of his Pokémon be completely knocked out from just one attack, even worse, that attack was an impossible one. He saw with his own eyes that Magmortar miss his mark by a large margin, then he vanished and his attack stroked true anyway.

"Electivire!" Leyla called out to her yellow menace. "Let's repay that rat for that one, use all that electricity that hit you and unleash a **Charge Beam**."

A heavy fist exploded on the ground, Electivire clearly furious from his last attempt. The electric beast got back on his feet and began to amass a ridiculous amount of energy on his body.

"Sandslash, get away from his body and make a circular line around him!" Spiegel shouted in response.

Again, with the heavy pounding to his own chest, Electivire began to unleash his power, eyes fully locked on Sandslash spinning form. Without even thinking if he had the target in his line of fire, Electivire shot a massive beam of energy, burning even the already scorched ground.

Then the sound of a soft snap of fingers sounded. From where Sandslash had quickly rolled away, safely from the attack, Absol appeared there out of nowhere. From then out, everything happened too quickly, the destructive beam clashed on the poor Pokémon's small frame, making it fly fast and high, with its landing destination being the hot lava below. Before the white disaster Pokémon could fall to his death, Spiegel called him back to his Pokémon, leaving only Sandslash standing.

"Well… You were saying?" Leyla said with a huge smug grin.

" **GRRRAAAH! CEASE THIS! RELEASE ME!"** Palkia released another roar of pain, this time the entire cave trembling at the sound of its voice. Then right after the structure had quieted down from its quivering, another massive bang came in, but this time echoing from outside.

' **Boy, like we planned; I will breach the cave in just a couple minutes, just hang in there.'** Kyogre's voice sounded inside Spiegel's mind.

While he tried to reply anything to the blue titan, his shock is way too big and dampening. Once more, he watched closely and carefully as the events happened in front of him, but it was all too surreal for him. Leyla's Pokémon are still just as clumsy and slow as they were before, it should be impossible for them to beat any Pokémon from his team, yet, reality itself was bending just to make the outcome different.

"No… not reality… Space!" He pondered with a faint whisper.

Sandslash's cries of distress woke the sapphire-eyed trainer from his daydreams. Spiegel shot his gaze upwards just to see her flying into the air with crackled of lightning and sparkles of ember marking her tilted stone-quills. With a sultry clashing sound, his land standing Pokémon fell on the ground just in front of him, her eyes already closed and not showing signs of opening any time soon.

"Oh… look at that, dear. I guess I've won this duel." Leyla's voice could not carry anymore gleam that they are right now, the satisfaction of beating his impertinent boy bringing her much joy, but yet to bring enough, at least until she proceeds to do what she wants.

"Not yet…" Spiegel replied. As the three evil-looking Pokémon walked closer to him, the young doppelganger took two more steps back. Taking his left hand back to his pants pockets, he pulled out his last shot at stalling for long enough for Kyogre to get here. 'Whoever it is… I will trust you.' Pulling the Poké-Ball Brendan handed to him earlier, Spiegel called out his last hope against those three. "You…"

* * *

Mt. Chimney, now a twisted mess of its calm visage from before. Boulders of dry lava rampaging everything and everywhere, reforming the summit of the mountain, making it larger and taller, yet completely deformed. No trees, no rails and no more roads, just a massive landscape of rocks and hot earth.

Ethan quickly reached Mt. Chimney's summit, the earth rumbling and cracking as Lugia's massive body landed on the darkened rocks. Took little effort in searching for the golden-eyed champion to find the massive blue Pokémon floating just above the lake of lava right in the middle and a lonely raven-haired young man sitting quietly in an elevated boulder.

"Ah… Ethan." Josh called out, his face lowered and mostly hidden behind his bangs jet-black of hair. "This is a most pleasant afternoon, isn't it?"

"Meh… so-so." Ethan jumped out from Lugia's back, looking up to the peaceful looking boy. "Who are you again? And why you're so casual with me?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. I was called Josh until now, but I have yet to think of another name." Josh's shoulders shrugged slowly. "And about you, well, I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I have a slight fascination with you. Oh, you may call me by my father's name. So, call me Red."

"Red?!" Ethan frowned, his voice transmitting the full extent of his disbelief. His reaction got a soft chuckle from the other boy. "Last I checked; Red is two or three years older than me. I can't really see him having a son, let alone one at your size."

Letting out a disinterested sigh, Josh raised his head, his red eyes shining brightly with a strange and yet familiar glow, both shining powerfully, but each eyes carrying a different brand-style in their iris. "Brendan didn't have a twin-brother either, did he?"

"Wait, you too?" Ethan didn't even felt his legs pacing backward, being so taken aback by that he could just focus on Josh's face and that small grin of satisfaction.

"Not me too. I am the first one. Although, differently to your goofy friend, I was not made completely on a lab." Josh explained, his hands dancing in front of him as he spoke. "Like you, I was born normally and in a 'normal' household. Unlike you, I was born in mediocrity, fated to be another little insignificant drop in the great scheme of things."

"Looker had a photo of a chubby kid. One he claims that Giovanni ruined his life and turned him into something bad." Ethan said, watching carefully as Josh's facial features twisted a bit at those words.

"Something bad?" He snorted. "He made me perfect. Giovanni accepted a worthless piece of trash and molded him into greatness. Molded me into Red." Getting his confident grin back on his lips, Josh pushed himself from his large stone, letting his feet land on the same level ground that Ethan stands. "The process they used to revive and remake Deoxys into what he is today came from the experiments they did on me. Getting Red's DNA, they changed mine to mirror his. Taking out the bad and putting in the good."

"Experimenting on people? On a kid?" Ethan shook his head, a scowl showing on his face. "That is sickening. Shit man, this is not the usual stupid stuff Team Rocket is stuffed in… I've changed my views of that man. Giovanni is twisted in the head."

"Say what you will, guardian of Johto. I merely found entertaining to share some of my origins with you. What you think or believe, do matters little to me." Giving Ethan a stern look of disapproval, Josh turned to Dialga and pulled a white orb from one his coat's pockets. "Thanks to that process, I now have the same power as you do. With that, I can tame even something as powerful as that."

A powerful light shone from within the orb, its power making Dialga twitch and roar in pain; several rays of light exploding from within the legendary Pokémon. However, as sudden as that outburst came, it vanished to nothing again as the young raven-haired Enforcer lowered his arm.

Josh sighed; he turned and looked at Ethan with a face of complete boredom. "Yet, I have tired of this toy. Too little of a challenge, too little of a leverage. Here, take it." He tossed the white orb to Ethan, getting the golden-eyed champion by surprise. He waited to see if Ethan would catch the round object, and seeing that he snatched it just fine, a faint smile crossed his lips. "We shall meet again very soon, Ethan. When the world sings the calling of its savior, we shall meet for the last time."

"Wait!" Ethan reached with one arm towards the other boy, yet had little impact on his behavior.

Giving his piece in a unilateral manner, Josh turned around and strolled casually down the twisted path down the mountain.

" **Unleash me!"** A powerful, yet distressed voice echoed on the silent summit. **"Undo these bindings, release me of this torment!"**

Ethan turned around, just to see the giant blue dragon glaring down at him. For some reason, Dialga still stands in the same place, floating without recourse and apparently without being able to move a single inch away from his spot.

" **You… bearer of golden flames. You are a guardian, are you not?"** The blue dragon continued. **"As much as this brings me shame, I implore you; destroy the chains that bind me here."**

Displaying his natural trait of reckless, Ethan stepped closer to Dialga, barely keeping his feet behind the ledge of the lava lake. Lugia watched closely as the frail human walked closer to a beast that even the legendary had a certain hesitation off.

"I would love to do just that. However, before, I have to know that you will not turn berserk and attack me. Can you promise that?" Ethan said.

" **Even in my prison, I can still strike you where you stand. If you want proof of my neutrality and cooperation; the fact that you still lives proves as much."** The blue dragon replied sultry, clearly getting impatience in his insufferable position.

"Yet you need me to release you. The fact that I still stand proves nothing but that you require someone to break you free." Ethan countered. "But… I understand your point. Having suffered a similar fate not too long ago, I can relate to the grueling experience of being caged. I will comply with your wishes; so how do I help you?"

" **That boy… he is the same as you. Using his gift, he bounded me to this place and using my own stolen power he trapped me with that orb you hold."** Exerting a massive effort with his body, Dialga leaned with his head and pointed to the white round object. **"I never witnessed a guardian with such a strange object, so I have not the knowledge of this puzzle. Yet, your gift is the key."**

"This thing, huh?" Ethan held the orb up, getting a proper look in the faint glow that sparks from within it. "A similar orb to the primal ones of Hoenn… This is not from your region?"

" **Never- Gghhh… Never laid eyes on such an object before."**

"Hm… Brendan would be the expert on this, but I will try my best." Ethan closed his eyes and turned off most of his thoughts. With an edge-sharp focus, he felt his heartbeat in its rhythmic pace, getting deeper inside his own soul. From there his surroundings expanded to a vast sea of darkness, devoid of any light and sound.

From the palm of his hand, a warm-prickling sensation sprung to life. The orb reacted to his call and from within a blinding light ushered out like a storm on a winter night. His void surroundings being filled with power and a majestic presence, a form made of pure diamond-light.

" **Now…"** Dialga's voice echoed from the light taken form. **"Command those chains to release me."**

As asked by the blue giant, Ethan felt the strings of light wrapped around the legendary Pokémon, with a single pull, tore all of them out.

Dialga's body erupted in a chaos of light and energy, his large form jolting away from the infernal space he was confided into, letting his tired self, land not so gracefully on the unformed rocks close to Ethan.

" **Champion of the Phoenix… You have spared me from an endless torment."** Dialga said, turning his head to the sight of the goofy grinning trainer. **"For that, I shall be forever grateful."**

" **You better choose your words carefully, Time-Walker."** Lugia called out to the exhausted dragon. **"He may look small and frail, but his whimsicality knows no bounds."**

A very displeased Ethan threw at his white-winged companion a mean look and a quick sharp glare. "You need to bad-mouth me every time we make friends?"

" **He is not my friend."** Lugia hissed at the tiny and feeble thing next to him. **"Neither are you."**

"So, about that gratefulness deal you were speaking." Making use of his infamous 'ignore skills'; Ethan turned his gaze back to the blue dragon, leaving a fuming Lugia behind him. "I want you to do something for me. To be more specific, I want you to NOT do something."

Dialga eyed the small human strolling over to him, giving Lugia a spare glance and receiving a neutral gaze back from the white Pokémon. **"Speak your mind. However, don't expect me to follow through anything you ask."**

"Great, just hear me out." Already standing beside the massive Pokémon, Ethan gave his new friend a cozy slap on the side of one of his giant legs. "Seeing as I rushed over here in time record to save you. Could you please don't summon Giratina?" Ethan asked with a small grin. "That would be awesome."

Feeling a bit dazed by the request, Dialga stared down at the peculiar human, wondering his motives and his boldness for having the gull to slap one of his legs. **"I have no desire to summon that which was banned from existence."** Ethan beamed happily after hearing that, but the dragon continued. **"Yet, neither I nor Palkia has control over that. Giratina is not bound by our call or summon. That creature watches restlessly from its domain, waiting for a tear in reality to make his way back from exile."**

"How can you not tear things up? If you don't do that, everything is fine again." Ethan rebutted.

" **When time and space collide against each other, the reality is warped. It is not an event we make by choice."** Dialga locked his eyes to the white orb on Ethan's hands and growled ever so quietly. **"I may vouch to leave this plane, yet that may serve for naught. For in your hands you hold a portion of my powers."**

Ethan glanced down at the still warm object in his hand. "Then I just need to destroy it." The golden-eyed youth promptly arched his arm behind his back, getting the proper impulse to throw the blasted thing inside the lake of lava.

" **Cease your actions, impulsive one!"** Dialga roared loudly, startling Ethan enough that he not only stopped in his tracks but also let the ball slip and fall to the ground. **"The individuals who trapped me, they extracted a part of me. Akin to having my soul stripped out of my body, the most painful experience indeed. Two orbs were made from me; two times I felt my essence being drained."**

"Two?!" Ethan replied with an outraged voice. He eyed the shining thing, now dirtied with dark dust. "Then, they can still do it?"

" **My body aches and my power wavers… I shall soon return to my place and leave this land, if I can help, forever."** Letting out a heated wave of exasperation, Dialga laid down on his belly. **"The orb you now possess is an instrument of pure evil. A cage made to wither and weaken a powerful soul, a soul like mine. Yet, may the bringer of destruction cometh from the void… you shall require its power."**

Little by little, Dialga began to fade into an ethereal form, the sunlight staring to pass by its transparent scales.

Resting with one knee over the rocks, Ethan leaned down and reached for the time-orb. "How? Isn't that Giratina guy crazy powerful?"

" **Time is a construction of reality. If Giratina's essence is still bound to the rift between worlds, my power shall be enough to push it back to the void."** With most of his lower body already gone, the blue dragon laid his head on the ground, closing his eyes in search of rest. **"Shall the creature fully escapes from the grasp of its prison…? Time will cease… to… work…"**

After watching the last trace of the time dragon vanish back to its original plane, Ethan switched his sight to the horizon, his eyes searching for the sky touching tower, but failing to see much more than a foggy silhouette at the back.

"First Ho-Oh and now this guy…" He clenched his hold on the gift Dialga left to him. "I have the worst feeling about this… Brendan, Silver… please hold on until I get there."

* * *

Sen no Kiseki OST - Exceed! ======= ( watch?v=L2OBpsUK5PU )

* * *

A blur of white and green snapped forward, tackling away the ferocious Electivire who was aiming his left fist at Spiegel.

"You… Violen!"

Standing tall in his fighting pose, the proudful Galade raised against the young trainer's foes. **"What a rude wake-up call."** Violen stared at the trio of Pokémon in front of him; his position shifting from both legs standing neutral in parallel, to a more aggressive one, right leg moving forward past his hips and the left one resting behind his backside. **"Are you sure that we will take those three alone? Naito may be of a little help in…"** His words stopped when for just a moment Violen glanced behind him, his eyes landing on those two sapphire eyes.

"Sorry, friend." Spiegel replied. "Today is just the two of us."

Standing quietly, Violen frowned and found himself deep in thoughts. Took him a couple of seconds before any words slipped out from his mouth. **"Be as it is then."** He said stoically, a light grin warming up his features. **"At least I will have the record over Ekkisu. He was insufferable for weeks after his one-on-two duel. Just him wait until I beat these three at the same time."**

A powerful laugh stormed out from Spiegel, showing the extensive capacities of his lungs. "You and Ekkisu are still bickering all the time?"

" **Hmph, he is the one with a senseless pride."** Violen replied with a slight snort, taking out another round of boisterous laughter from the young trainer. **"You may ask Brendan about this if you want to know more. But he is likely to side with Ekkisu… Always did, even before he could understand us."**

"Not true!" Spiegel yelled in distress. "I… Brendan never had favorites."

"Are you done?!" Leyla snarled from the other side of the battlefield. "As entertaining as it is to see a brainless fool talking to himself, I bore of your face." She stepped forward, her team mimicking her action and getting even closer to the sole Gallade. "This pathetic help you found yourself, will change little in the outcome. Outnumbered three to one, even if this Gallade was anything special, he will never win." She sneered, hoisting her black orb in front of her.

" **Pathetic?!"** A deep frown twisted Violen's face, his swings of moods ever so dangerous, now bordering the line of murderous.

"You heard her, partner. Let's show this woman, how pathetic we…" Spiegel paused, his gaze is drawn by the dazzling light piercing the fabric of his coat's left pocket. Sinking his hand inside the glowing spot, he felt his fingers grazing against a warm and solid object. Taking the stone out in the open, Spiegel felt a tingle in his eyes, his hand almost crushing the Galladite with its pressing-tight hold. 'Brendan…'

Letting out a mighty war cry, Violen was engulfed in a sphere of pure light. His once green arms, slashed its way out of the sphere, now white and clad with a sharp and long red blade on its outer sides. His legs taller and faster, dashed out from his position and on the blur of its movements a majestic pair of capes followed, making his appearance one of a superhero.

"Violen, she will try to lock you with the strange power of that Legendary Pokémon floating in the air. Just keep going at max speed, moving on her blind spots… Destroy her team."

" **Hai! I got it!"** In a boom of invisible force, Violen vanished from his spot. A single stream of white and teal crossed the caves grounds in unmatchable speed. Neon-like lights began to appear in the wake of this Mega Gallade's path, a beautiful display leaving a trail of lines, circling and closing in against the stunned trio.

" **You first!"** Violen cried out loudly, his stream of white and teal suddenly got marred by a tint of red, this streak of red shortly overpowered the other colors and from there, Violen's blur just appeared in front of the Electivire.

The massive electric-ape growled painful, his body shooting all the way back against an overreaching pillar of crystals on the end of the cave. Before his other two companions could even register what happened, Violen's red arm-blade crossed a duo-slash cut on the upper-side of Magmortar's back, the flaming Pokémon crashing down on the ground.

Leyla stumbled backward, her eyes being way to slow to even follow the events happening around her. Violen was moving at such high speed, that the blond woman has yet to understand how and when her two Pokémon got struck down like nothing. "No…" She whispered with quivering lips. "I will not lose, I cannot lose…"

While she was trying to get her bearings back, her stone-bat cried out in panic, batting his wings as fast as he could upwards to the ceiling of the cave. Unfortunately for Gliscor, the stream of white and teal shot from the firm grounds all the way to the sidewall, raising up still at full speed to the top of the cave, hastily closing the distance to where Gliscor had tried to find refuge in.

The thundering sound of Violen's blades clashing against Gliscor's body echoed inside the large room, the battered purple Pokémon flying down to the ground like a loose arrow.

" **Normally, I am against it."** Violen's blur of a body landed-crashed on the floor close to Leyla. **"But call me pathetic and you deserve a slap."** He sprinted at full speed towards the baffled woman.

"STOP!" Leyla shouted from the top of her lungs. Her eyes trembling like crazy and her legs shivering wildly, the blond woman raised the shining orb high in the air, making its intensity three times worse. Palkia screams also followed in that power's wake, his body trashing and crashing wildly, desperately fighting to break free.

Electivire and Magmortar both appeared in front of their master but not by will, instead, forced to do it in a mere split second by the power of that black orb. The force of the pull dragging those two together is so strong, that their body pressed together violently as if they were merging into one being, one wall of flesh with the only purpose to stop Violen's attack.

Witness both the furious cries of the floating dragon above him and the excruciating roars from the two in front of him, Violen stopped in a storm, still holding his right arm up and ready to attack.

Taken aback by the absurdity of this scene, the extremely fast Mega Gallade glanced back to his trainer. **"What is this? What do I do now?"**

"No! Don't stop moving!" Spiegel's warning came a little too late.

Before Violen could resume his sound-speed marathon, Leyla pushed her hand forward and sent both Pokémon flying like a bullet towards the unsuspecting Gallade. The two heavy bodies clashed on top of Violen's frailer one, making the three of them roll and trash against the heated ground.

"Power is absolute… Power is everything… And I, the one controlling the greatest power shall be the one victorious!" Leyla pressed her fingers more and more against the raging orb, the surges of power making the space around her twist and twirl as if the reality of the world was breaking around her will. Palkia screech of terror and pain almost drove everyone deaf from its intensity, the more the woman uses this power, the more feral and unhinged the pearl dragon seems to become.

The cave of origin began to shake as a whole, huge holes exploded from the walls and from the ceiling, a waterfall of seawater began to pour in, even worse, began to fight and clash against the river of lava for dominance, the entire area transforming into a mess of steam and sultry fog.

"I… will be one destroying you, freak." Leyla's voice sounded from behind the curtains of white smoke.

Spiegel tried to follow it in hopes of finding this inside woman, his eyes, however, shoot right up to the towering figure standing right on top of them both. Two gleaming, furious red eyes glaring down, trembling in a killing thrill. The sound which followed next was so loud and painful to witness, that Spiegel's worlds went silent for just a minute, his body tossed down to the ground in a violent force, this shockwave exploding the fog away and revealing the dreading sight of Palkia's gigantic form, flying freely on the ceiling of this cave.

* * *

Soaring an air pathway, a ridiculously massive orange dragon crossed the region of Hoenn, taking in his back his owner and master.

"Haha… what a joke scenario, huh…" A calm Josh spoken to himself, the young raven-haired stared down at his distorted reflection on the seawater.

"I warned you, Leyla. Nothing can stand against the power of a guardian. You tried to force past your limits… now look at the results." He noticed the bright glow of his red eyes disappearing, the last symbol still present in his iris also fading away.

"Such a pity, beautiful Leyla. But alas, that is the fate of the little ones." Josh cocked his head backward, resting his body properly on the backside of his flying Dragonite. "Now, what will you do, powerful Palkia? Will the world succumb before the hero arrives?" He chuckled softly. "That would be most unfortunate, but surprisingly hilarious."

Having a fit of laughter, the young red-eyed man shook his head, rubbing his face with both hands. "Go on, Deoxys. Cast your lot and show me your destiny."

* * *

Sen no Kiseki II OST - Blue Destination ======= ( watch?v=Goj8hyy_L0M )

* * *

' _Spiegel… tomorrow one of us will die.'_ Brendan's voice ringed on Spiegel's mind, a soothing melody against this chaotic nightmare surrounding him.

' _I am sorry… After all that… after everything we did to each other, said to each other. I didn't want this.'_ Brendan's words continued.

' _I don't believe him.'_ Now an echo of Spiegel's own words comes through. _'I may be biased against that blasted dragon, but I don't believe him.'_

' _Rayquaza has no reason to lie… Tomorrow, for everyone that we love…'_

" _I will die."_

Spiegel opened his eyes back to reality, the gruesome reality of the foe he is facing right now, one of the powerful dragons of creation. Palkia, the Pearl Dragon of Space, is staring down at him.

" **Oi… OI, Stop daydreaming already!"** Violen's distressed voice pulled Spiegel away from his dazedness.

Hissing and growling in pain, the young doppelganger pulled himself up from the ground, his right arm throbbing like never before, the white plaster around his member all cracked and mostly ruined, making his broken limb dangle lifelessly to his side. "Violen…?" He called out to his Pokémon partner, but the response he got was just the stomping sounds of a heavy battle happing to the side.

Spiegel's blue gaze traveled upwards, resettling itself to the bright surroundings enveloping him. The image of a white blur caught his attention; right after a giant light pink form trampled the earth and rocks in its way.

Doing his best in his horrible situation, Violent is engaged in combat against the massive dragon, but the agile Pokémon can do nothing more than dodge and run, all the while Palkia is throwing attack after attack in an attempt to crush his enemy.

" **O-Oi… Get a hold of yourself already—Gah!"** A large boulder flew from the ground at the edge of the floor, storming its way onto Violen's blind spot and striking the Gallade at his left side.

Seeing his friend get hit and roll violently across the floor, triggered a powerful response on Spiegel's body, forcing himself up despite his aching parts and wobbling legs. "What… What have you done?!" He shouted his question in a full display repulsion, yet his words found nobody and soon enough his eyes understood why.

A massive spiral rock is planted against the rock-like floor, its sharp tip broken and buried inside the ground, the ground itself soiled with more than just dust. Red marks the area around the impact, blood covering the boulder spike and the small crater itself; from the lower side of the rock's tip, a lone and slim arm stands out with a hand twisted and cramped, the fingers showing in full colors the horrifying despair that woman felt before being crushed to death.

From the base of Spiegel's stomach, a sickening sensation erupted all the way up to his throat. What little food he had today when he shared breakfast with Brendan, came hurling out from his mouth as the strong smell of blood rushed to his nose, and paired together with the heavy odor coming from the boiling lake below him, it was all too much for him to handle.

After failing to resist the urge to puke, Spiegel rocket his head right up again, his eyes quickly drifting away from Leyla's grim fate. At that rapid glance to the side, the noticed the small orb she was carrying in her hands, the black sphere still flared up in light and power despite having lost any contact to a person's hand.

Palkia's large foot exploded on the ground next to Spiegel, the impact against the loosen earth launching the young trainer up in the air just for him to land with his face on the pool of Leyla's blood.

Breathing heavily and scarcely, Spiegel pulled himself out of the ground again, half of his face covered in red, even the tip of his bangs dripping with some of that blood. Trying to get up in his feet, his balance gave out, making his right foot slip and his bums to crash down on the floor again.

"Ha… Ha… One light... for a thousand more…" He repeated those words yet again, but what little confidence he could have gained from it were outmatched by the sheer pressure of Palkia's murderous glare.

As the Pearl Dragon charged forward, his glinting eyes displaying his killing intent to the fullest, another blur of light came rushing forward. White, teal and red; Violen threw himself desperately against the heavy Pokémon, with little hope to bring down such aggressive and powerful enemy. However, his efforts were enough to push Palkia to the side and out of the ground platform, forcing the dragon to get airborne again.

" **It's no use…"** Violen walked next to Spiegel and then fell with one of his knees to the ground. **"He is too hard… At each hit, my body feels like it's going to snap and break."** Taking his gaze upwards, the tired Gallade frowned. **"Oi!"** His long arm flew upwards, hitting Spiegel's on his cheek. **"What is wrong with that face of yours? Have you given up?"**

Spiegel looked to the side, his face was still neutral but mostly shocked. He eyed Violen with a lost look in his eyes, slowly opening his mouth. "Rayquaza was right… I can't… That thing is too much for me."

" **The hell it is!"** Violen snapped angrily at the stunned trainer in front of him. **"Groudon seemed too much for Brendan, he did it anyway. Rayquaza was twenty times bigger than he was, yet I fought by his side to calm the beast's anger… But if this fight is too much for you, I will deal with it alone."** Scowling at Spiegel's cowardice, Violen pushed his body back up, getting his legs straight and his gaze upwards to the circling dragon.

Without another word, the brave Pokémon stepped forward and then rushed upwards in a blur of colors, surprising the legendary menace with his speed and resilience.

' _Trust in me…'_ Words from before coming back to haunt the distressed boy at this time, now his own words coming up inside his mind. _'You stopped a crazed monster inside a boiling rock, and then flew to space to stop a crazed monster trying to squish the planet… Heheh, as your equal in everything, I can do my part as well. Just you watch it!'_

"Aa… I can do it." Legs shivering and lips quivering, Spiegel found himself standing up once again. "Just you watch it, Brendan, I will fight this." His left arm trembling, rocking back and forward, but his hands sitting steady and firm, holding in its grasp the black orb with which Leyla was controlling Palkia before. "And you will live!"

Pressing his hold against the orb, Spiegel took it in. Its light, its power, and its pain. Everything came flying inside of him like a turmoil of rabid rage. His blue eyes shone with a darkened light, his head rocked backward and his mouth shot open as his voice stormed out in a cry of utter pain.

" **RELEASE ME!"** A deep, tormented voice sings from within. **"BREAK THIS CAGE, FREE ME OF THIS CURSED PLACE!"**

Palkia in its enraged state felt the foreign presence trying to break inside his being. His body reacted in the same violent manner as before, thrashing around wildly as the dragon tried to regain control of himself, but failed yet again. However, this single moment of lucidity changed Palkia's behavior from a mindless rage-infused wrecking ball to a focused killer with a bright painted target.

Darting downwards like a spear of brutal force, Palkia flew at Spiegel with his full speed. Violen flying in just in time to push the legendary powerhouse out of his trajectory, but the impact of their clash ended up being so strong and unrelenting, that Violen fell down to the ground, losing his mega form and his consciousness at the same time.

While the Gallade suffered terrible wounds and bruised form the impact, Palkia just glided over to the side and soared right up again. Doing a mid-turn with a graceless motion, the giant dragon swoop right back down again, this time no Violen to push him out of the way.

Nevertheless, the dragon never hit his target. The entire ceiling above their head came crashing down. A downpour of water spreading a massive hole into the cave of origin, destroying the majestic upside-down crystals. Palkia fought to break away from the hold of the tempesting waters, but soon found his body being tackled by the massive force of Kyogre's charge.

" **Boy, are you alive still?"** Kyogre raised his question as his gaze fell on the destruct state of this place. **"Boy? Oi, Spiegel?!"**

However dire the situation looked before, now is ten times worse. After Kyogre's intervention, the sea is raging inside the cave, filling every nook and cranny that it can find. By now, more than half of the room is now filled with water, burning heat water.

"I will not fail!" Spiegel's voice echoed from everywhere. "For the people that trusted in me, for the person who gave me meaning… and for the man who embraced me as his brother." Taking hold and using Kyogre's power as if they are his own, the young doppelganger is surfing on top of a small wave, his feet standing above all that blue, while his back is getting pushed forward in a fast rush in.

"One light snuffed away, so thousands more may keep shining." He pulled his left arm behind him, preparing his body to a deadly impact. "BEGONE FROM HOENN!" In a miraculous leap from his liquid platform, Spiegel tossed himself against Palkia. Swinging his arm forward, he bashed his hand onto the dragon's forehead, exploding the small orb into a million pieces.

Palkia roared madly, as his body felt the surge of energy erupting. From the top of his head, a single minuscule point of light came to life, this little source of energy soon expanding and exploding.

Palkia vanished, consumed by his own power.

Kyogre stood paralyzed as his own massive body was swallowed by that vortex of darkened energy.

Every Pokémon floating in the water; Sandslash, Armaldo, Absol, and even Violen, all were sucked into the light.

Spiegel watched was his arm vanished first, no pain or panic… just a cold sensation taking over him slowly.

'Sorry, Flannery… I wanted to at least say good-' In the last surge of light exploding from the destroyed orb, the blue-sapphire eyed doppelganger disappeared.

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	34. Pyra

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Here it is, the second part of of the duo-chapters. Took a little longer than what I anticipated, but better late than never (or a sloppy plot)._

* * *

" _ **The silence of an afflicted soul is louder than an agonizing scream…"**_ _Rayquaza's deep voice ringed within his guardian's mind; Brendan's barely lit ruby shining eyes flickered with a glint of emerald gleam._ _ **"Speak your mind, young one."**_

_This has been happening for a while now, but as soon as Brendan hears the emerald dragon king whispering inside his head, an annoyed scowl twists his expression. "What is the point?" The young guardian spoke in response._

" _ **The bitterness in your voice… Do you harbor resentment against me?"**_ _Rayquaza said back, his voice in a never-changing tone, never showing anger or any other ill feelings._

_Brendan rolled his eyes to the side, his gazing resting upon the little mess of clothes and old photos at the free spot of his couch. Those photos, the old mementos of his earlier life, he and his artificially created twin have spent hours just going through then, just remembering stuff that both shared, but only one lived. That little thought brought a bit more sourness to his mouth._

" _ **Choosing to reveal what I saw, was and still is the correct procedure. Do not twist your reasoning and direct your anger at me, for I only brought you the truth."**_

" _And why is that right, huh?" Brendan lashed out; he swiped his right hand to the side, bashing the side of his fist against the stack of photos. "You could just keep quiet for a day and then I… We would not have to sit on this horrible sensation of imminent doom."_

" _ **It is not easy, Brendan. I know it; I felt it. However, you are not normal. Your mirrored-self is not either. At the turning point of your destiny, both of you will feel it; there is no avoiding it, there is no ignoring it. When nothingness comes, Ruby or Sapphire, the chosen eyes will stare right at it."**_ _Rayquaza stopped, but a lingering echo of his voice remained for a moment, just settling Brendan's nerves a little bit more before he continued._ _ **"By telling you the truth, I have forced you to face this now, to make up your mind and resolve right here, away in your safe space. For when the time comes, even a single spare moment is a luxury we shall not have."**_

_A slight snort followed the dragon's speech, his young protégée clearly not satisfied with those words. "Either here or at the edge of a volcano, facing your own death is just as hard and unsettling." He sighed, feeling more defeated than he ever felt in his entire life. "Even worse is the feeling that I might not die and someone else may takes that blow… You know what is tearing me apart from the inside out, Rayquaza?" Brendan pulled himself up, quickly letting out a long and harsh gush of air. "Is that deep down, I am hoping that fate may choose the other one."_

"…" _A steady flow of low breathing sang inside the young trainer's mind, the ancient Pokémon looking for better words, but finding none._

" _Your prophecy is enough to show how selfish and little I am. That scares me; that disgusts me to no end. And you know what? You should be scared too." Brendan paused for a moment, his eyes traveling to the open window of his living room, the little noises coming from the outside picking his curiosity. "If the ruby eyes are the one staring death… My selfishness may spell doom to everyone."_

" _ **That will not happen. Your heart is the core of unbound courage, your spirit a fountain of power in itself. When I looked upon you at our first encounter, I found a champion of-"**_

" _Please stop." Brendan cut the emerald deity very quickly. The side of his head is already throbbing with slight pain, and the dragon words are only making it worse. "I appreciate your confidence in me. But today, just let me drown at my own sorrows."_

_A cold silence reigned within the room and inside Brendan's head. This private quietness was Rayquaza's response to Brendan's plea. In this serene atmosphere, the young brown-haired man quietly walked to the window, the subtle noises getting louder and louder to him._

_With the stars of a late evening as their witness, a large group of playful characters is spending their free time cozying themselves in each other companies._

_Outside the small and secluded house, a carefree Spiegel is sitting on the ground with a large group of Pokémon circling around him. Mostly are wild Pokémon who were just nearby and decided to get closer and talk with the young human, but also some of his own friends, the members of Brendan's team._

_Naito, the large Honchkrow, is quietly watching the commotion. His perceiving eyes always almost fixated on the smiling trainer, who somehow seems so interesting to him._

_Layla and Aster are all over Spiegel. The two who were the wariest of him at the first glance when they walked outside, but quickly they warmed up to him and instantly started to question him all about him and why he looks so much like Brendan._

_Ekkisu just sat on the grass, back against the wall and just one eye staring at the blue-eyed boy. While he appears to be disinterested and aloof to anything spare his sleeping thoughts, he also didn't glance away even for a moment._

_Violen is another story; the prideful Gallade is the one keeping the most distance away from the group. While grumpily snorting, both arms folded and face turned away; the psychic fighter is just outside because his curiosity is taking the best of him; if not for that he would have just walked away._

" _Yo, Brendan. Why don't you come to join us?" Spiegel noticed his twin watching and happily called him over._

_A brief smile crossed Brendan's smile. "I don't think so… Today is about you, no? Look at them, they are all around you."_

" _That's because I am the only one here. Stop being shy and just come over here."_

_With just a bit of insistence from Spiegel's part convinced Brendan to come out and sit on the grass inside the cheering circle of Pokémon. Aster jumped on his lap as soon as his backside settled on the ground, the little pink-ball of happiness snuggled all around him; his little girl telling all excited about the likeness about her daddy and hew new friend._

" _Aren't you scared at all?" Brendan asked Spiegel. The ruby-eyed boy caressing Asper's head with a sweet touch of his hands. "You know, Spiegel… I am sorry… After all that… after everything we did to each other, said to each other. I didn't want this."_

_Spiegel promptly frowned, his spring lively grin waving a bit as he stared at his twin. "I don't believe him.' He replied seriously. "I may be biased against that blasted dragon, but I don't believe him."_

_Now, Brendan is the one frowning. "Rayquaza has no reason to lie… Tomorrow, for everyone that we love…" He pressed one hand closer to Aster, the sudden embrace startling her a bit, making the little Whismur look up and tilt her head a tad bit confused._

" _Doesn't matter." Spiegel shot out, his frown disappeared and a bright smirk taking its place. "Everything will be all right, just trust me. Tomorrow will suck, that is true. But the day after that will be a lot better." He pointed down at Aster and she looked at him, jumped down at the grassy-ground and waved one hand at him. "On that day, we can get together and talk like this again... I think… I think that would be nice."_

_Brendan watched his twin with a fascinated look in his eyes; just hearing Spiegel talking about it, another day, another way, another chance. It feels his heart with hope that in the end, things will be all right; that in the end, they both get to live… just thinking about that._

" _Yeah… That would be very nice."_

* * *

Being the one leading the charge and the trainer responsible for the emerald dragon, Zinnia was the last one to jump off Rayquaza's back, the draconid girl landing in all her brazen manner close to Brendan; her classic Lorekeeper's cloak flapping wildly with the rash winds.

"You guys okay there?" She asked Brendan, also giving Silver a short glance.

The red-haired gave her one of his stern grunts while Brendan responded with a reserved smile.

"Surprisingly enough, no one has appeared to deter us." The brown-haired champion responded. "Maybe the wailing of the winds stormed over the sounds of our arrival."

Silver let out a low snort, his head shaking with that suggestion. "Our arrival is neither much hidden or a secret. That dragon of yours is almost the same size as the lower hull of this ship, even if Giovanni himself had not seen it, one of his cameras must have spotted us."

Zinnia quickly called Rayquaza back to her pristine white Poké-Ball, then shifted her attention to the already grumpy new companion of hers. "Then, what's up with the cold shoulders on their part? Maybe they're prepping a trap or ambush?"

"Whatever it is, we will charge right through." Brendan replied, taking his place in front of the other two. "If Rainbow Rocket wants to meet us in a rigged battlefield, we have no time to go around it."

The young red-haired let his eyes stare at Brendan's broad back, his features softening a bit as a brief smirk appeared on his lips. "That sounded just like Ethan." He said with an amused tone of voice. "Maybe he has rubbed a bit too much on you. He is the one that likes to do brave and stupid things."

"Hah, maybe he has." Brendan turned his head to the side, giving Silver a spare glance. "But just a little bit." With that, the young ruby-eyed boy turned to face the closed gates at the massive open court on the back of the ship and began to step closer to it.

Watching her boyfriend brimming with confidence and even a little bit of that young naivety of before, brought a huge smile to Zinnia's face. 'Look at him shining so much in front of everyone. That's the guy I fell for.' With her gaze focused on his form, and some spare glances to his butt, the brazen Lorekeeper followed her champion.

Getting close to the giant metal gates, Brendan pressed his hands against it and in a vain attempt to test the sturdiness of those barriers he pushed with full strength on both arms. "No good, doesn't even budge." He said with a small frown.

"If you could bring those doors down with your hands I would be shocked and amazed." Zinnia said to him, a small little grin on her lips. "Should we get back on Rayquaza and look for an easier entrance?" In the middle of her sentence, she was already reaching for the Poké-Ball inside one of her pockets.

"No. We don't have the time." Brendan replied in all seriousness. Giving his girlfriend a stern glance, he pointed to a spot at the side, away from the massive gateway. "Zinnia, step aside for a moment, please."

Zinnia eyed him with a raised brow but did as he asked anyway. Silver quickly walked next to her and studied the young champion with the same curiosity that Zinnia has.

'Will it work?' Brendan let the question flow in the sea of his thoughts.

' **Put your mind into it and focus, then you should be able to do it.'** Groudon's voice echoed inside his mind as a response. **'Remember, we have been bounded in more ways than you can imagine.'**

"Okay… just focus…" Brendan said behind his breath. The red-eyed youth stepped forward, putting himself in between both sides of the heavy metal gates. Closing his eyes and letting his breathing flow at a steady pace, Brendan focused on that little tingle that is now always present inside of him. That small flickering erupted into a spark and then exploded into a rush of power; from his chest, a glooming wave of light came to life and traveled hastily to both of his arms.

Letting out a powerful shout, Brendan pushed both hands against the locked gate in the same manner as before. However, differently from the last time; now his arms pushed forward and thought, those gates flying in like they were shot by a canon, leaving the way open and the inside hall twisted in a complete mess.

Witnessing a 'normal' human tearing down a pair of gates that not even a burly Pokémon would be able to, left both Zinnia and Silver awestruck. As Silver just stared towards Brendan while blinking a few times too many, Zinnia let out a very loud squeal. Rushing toward and then leaping at her lover's back, the draconid girl wrapped her arms around him with a few silly giggles escaping from her.

"That was so cool! What? Why? How did you do it?" She said, her voice roaring right next to Brendan's left ear, making the poor guy shiver with a bit of discomfort.

"A little perk that I have now." He replied with a smug grin, even giving a wink to her. "Guardian's thing." He finished with a shrug.

Silver quietly approached the couple, even walking pass then and analyzing the damage Brendan has just done to those gates. "Groudon's power?" He asked the other male trainer, his gaze still fixed forward.

"Yeah, something like that." Brendan replied; patting Zinnia's back for the girl to unlatch herself out of him.

Pondering that information for a bit, Silver remained in silence for a couple of seconds, one hand curled tight and pressed against his lower lip. Without saying anything more, the red-haired young man just shook his head and proceeded forward, wandering inside the giant floating ship.

"What's up with him?" Zinnia asked, giving an odd-look at Silver's direction.

"Dunno, but he looked upset about it." Brendan shrugged again. "Let him be, he was always odd, even with Ethan by his side. Let's just get in and get this over with."

Zinnia smiled, swinging her right arm back and then forward, she promptly smacked Brendan on his back shooting the young champion forward. "Right behind you, mister strong arms." She laughed as Brendan stumbled his way inside the ship; now with a few new crazy ideas floating inside her head, the wild Lorekeeper followed them inside the unknown territory.

After taking down the first hurdle in their path, the trio of trainers crossed the halls and levels of the floating fortress with extreme ease. At first, Zinnia and Brendan cheered the fact that they had managed to cross the fifth and the fourth-highest levels without encountering even a single member of the criminal organization.

However, soon that ecstatic feeling began to turn into a dread sensation that something is definitely right. Midway the third level, they noticed the continuum absence of any signs of life. Not a trainer, not a Pokémon, not even a faint sound of footsteps echoing on the background; their entire surrounding is filled with the noises of the engine and the constant beeping sound of a low siren.

Reaching a double door to the bridge and command room; Brendan, Zinnia, and Silver all shared a few nervous glances. If what Silver knows of this vessel is true, then someone has to be inside this room, that or this ship would eventually crash without anyone steering its course.

Gulping down the chilling sensation threatening to crawl on his senses, Brendan steeled his nerves and pushed the doors open.

The three of them rushed inside, Poké-Balls in hand and arms at ready to fight. Yet, as their eyes scanned the spaces around them, not even a shadow is there to be seen. At this moment of confusion and doubt over the situation, a creaking sound alarmed the trio before any of them could say anything.

At the forward center of the room, the command seat began to turn, on its padded arm one pair of fingers tapping down with a calculative and rhythmic sound, mimicking the one of the now louder siren at the back of the room.

A sharp and cold pair of onyx eyes stared down at the newcomers, the one of said glare humming in a happy tone as he acknowledges their presence.

"Young Brendan… We meet again." Giovanni spoke with his stern voice.

"Giovanni!" Brendan replied with a glare of his own. Silver and Zinnia both added their own glares and mean looks, all three somewhat hesitating to take even a step forward.

"You brought friends this time, huh? Lorekeeper Zinnia and my own son, Silver." The mastermind behind Hoenn's invasion chuckled at the young challengers appearing before him. "What a unique team of people, most intriguing indeed."

Zinnia's glare transformed into a confused frown. "You know about me?" She asked with a faint trembling in her words. Taking the fact that her crazy endeavors almost always bring her to the most secluded places and how much she lays low in her 'job' assisting Max, she can't possibly figure out how this person knows about her.

Yet, there is Giovanni grinning casually at her question and confusion. "I know a lot of things about you, Lorekeeper. But your amazing theory was the reason behind my interest in you and later on Hoenn." Casually smiling at his own words, Giovanni just waved one hand in front of him, as to dismiss his own speech. "Alas, that is a detail we should let slide for now."

Taking the initiate and even breaking the invisible chains that were holding everyone in their places, Brendan stepped forward, his glare deepening at Giovanni's insinuation towards Zinnia. "How can you be so calm and collect? How can you smile so freely when you are tearing my region apart? I don't know what is wrong with you Giovanni, but I will stop you now!"

Not really affected by Brendan's words, Giovanni just shook his head, clicking his tongue and waving one finger in front of him. "Have you learn from your mistake, young Guardian? Or will your aggressive temperament get the better of you yet again?" The imposing man asked, his expression quickly changing to a serious frown. "How can you know how deep the wounds of Hoenn goes, if you know nothing about its current situation?" He asked in a clear mocking tone.

Brendan stepped forward again, teeth greeting and his gears roaring to jump at that man and beat him up for everything he did.

"Stop messing around Giovanni!" Silver's voice stormed loudly, the red-haired stomped past Brendan, stopping just shy of the first step towards the stairs up to Giovanni's pedestal. "You're so narrow-minded that your only objective in life is to stand above other people? To put them down and build your little altar above them?" He snarled angrily at his own father. "How much of a lunatic are you?"

"Stop barking your emotions like a feral Pokémon." Giovanni replied with a stern tone but with a fierce glare. "You've been raised better than that."

"Raised… better…?" Silver stood staring at his father, completely baffled. "RAISED?! You dirty piece of-" A firm grasp clapped the red-haired on his shoulder, forcing him to glance back to see a stern-looking Brendan standing next to him, his gaze all to focused on the other man in front of them both.

"Fine, Giovanni. I will give in, what's your plan?" Brendan asked surprisingly calm and collected, despite his aggravated look.

An appreciative smirk appeared on the older man's lips. "So you've learned from your past mistakes. Good, a patient listener is the one who learns the most." Silver was ready to push Brendan away and lunge at his old man, but Brendan's strong grip on him held him in place. "Say, do any of you know what a Pokémon Master is?"

"One that is considered the strongest trainer?" Zinnia jumped with her concept of the answer.

Brendan glanced at his lover and then back at Giovanni. "A trainer who is capable of understanding each and every Pokémon."

Giovanni chuckled at both answers but remained for making any commentary just settling to look at Silver and waiting for a reply from the red-haired. As Silver just growled and glared at him, Giovanni shook his head and continued. "Your concept of Pokémon is wrong, so it does not surprise me that you got such juvenile vision on this matter. Pokémon were, are, and will always be, the most powerful tool on human history. Ever evolving, ever-changing and adapting. Pokémon are in its core a meaning from which a person strives to attain greatness."

Giovanni's monologue brought a grimace to the trio's expression. Zinnia frowning and shaking her head in disapproval, with Brendan staring at the man with a heated scowl.

"They are living beings, with feelings and dreams of their own." Brendan spat back. "From my point of view, you are the one with a juvenile thought process."

"Such brazen stupidity. Pokémon are only willingly serving us because we evolved to be their masters. You are the living example of this fact; A human who has conquered a beast capable of destroying the planet." Giovanni swung one arm in front of him, his gestures getting more erratic as more heated his speech become. "A Pokémon Master is who, by his own hands and ambitions, is capable of using Pokémon to their fullest potential. Not in a stupid battle against an opponent, not in an idealistic dream of mutual and perfect coexistence. A true Pokémon Master is able to shape history with his power; and I, Giovanni, will prove what really means to hold that title."

"By taking over Hoenn and ruling over people with fear?" Brendan replied, disgust oozing out from his words. "That will never work Giovanni! Hoenn is more than a simple piece of land; Hoenn is made by everyone that lives here; Pokémon and Trainers! And Hoenn will reclaim its freedom today."

"Heh…. Hahahahahaha!" Taking all three by surprise yet again, Giovanni burst in a fit of laughter, Brendan heartfelt words made little to dissuade the man. "Oh, young Brendan, you can have Hoenn all to yourself, I don't care. This land was never my goal, only a means to an end." For the first time since the beginning of their exchange, Giovanni got up from his seat, the imposing man getting to the edge of the long staircase, his gaze looking down to the young defenders.

"What… What do you mean by that? If Hoenn was never your object, why attack us and bring such chaos to our lives?" Brendan asked.

"Distraction, obviously." Giovanni replied with no remorse, his tone of voice suggesting that he is almost bored. "It is very easy to do everything you want without creating suspicion when half of the region is burning and crashing around you. And our research was everything but quiet, then, to avoid another incident of a brave young guardian dismantling my team before our great apex… well, a few cities had to burn."

"Cities burning… PEOPLE DYING!" Silver shouted, his face twisting in pure anger, but his red shining eyes showing a little tingle of sadness in them, almost remorseful in a way. "What is so important for you to make a monstrous choice like that?"

"People died… yes… Where would the progress of humanity be without the sacrifice of some?" This time Giovanni responded with a bit of sympathy in his speech, something that only made his son even angrier. "To answer your question and quell the curiosity of you three, I shall enlighten you on our pathway to the future." The man clad in all black and grey turned on his heel, his long ended coat swinging on the air in his smooth movement. After disappearing from sight, behind his overly big and fancy chair, he quickly returned with a glowing orb on his right hand.

This little ball of light is akin to Kyogre and Groudon's primal orbs, but this one devoid of a specific color like the previous four. Shining with a rainbow of layers upon layers of lights, this orb is smaller and hypnotically beautiful, sharing its most prominent colors between white and black.

"I present to you, project Orpheus." Giovanni proudly announced the name of the object on his hands. "The key and the gateway to new worlds."

"Travelling to new worlds?" Zinnia said staring at the shining thing. "Are you nuts?"

"Quite the opposite, Lorekeeper. I've never been more lucid than now." Giovanni chuckled in his response, his fingers trailing on the sphere's surface with a strange delight. Giovanni got back on his seat, his gaze barely parting away from the little orb as he continued to speak to his audience. "Imagine my shock when I learned about multiple dimensions and worlds that coexist with our own. It was then that everything clicked inside my mind. Sinnoh's powers of creation, a sparkling rainbow road to another world, and Hoenn's primal orbs, keys of absolute control from which you can subdue even the Primal Titans… combine the two and you have my golden ticket to success."

"Then you learned how to 'cross worlds' and decided to siege the land to steal the orbs?" Brendan asked right back, his gaze also never leaving the glowing thing.

"For quite a long time I've been familiar with the ancient knowledge about the crossing of worlds. However, Sinnoh's legends only speak of a world of chaos and darkness, a distorted world." Speaking in perfect clarity, the onyx-eyed criminal mastermind brought his eyes back to the young champion, a serious expression masking his face. "I could've easily stolen the orbs and dealt with everything back in Kanto or even at Sinnoh. However, that would not solve my problem of destination. Hoenn's mirrored reality is another matter, though. A world made of a reflection of our own, but different in every way… Without even Pokémon… Imagine a location so green and unexplored. That it's my dream."

"Hoenn's reflection... You want to use Dialga and Palkia to open a portal here?" Brendan stepped forward, climbing up in the long stairs. "Rayquaza told me about them, they are the keepers of origination."

"You can't do that!" Zinnia let her voice storm loudly inside the large room. "The legends of Sinnoh, I heard them, I read about them in my time there… If you mess with time and space, you will break the seal to a great evil."

"Giratina…" Brendan followed where his girlfriend stopped. "I heard enough Giovanni. I've been warned about this. I will not allow you to go forward with your plan."

"Allow me?" Giovanni snorted. "Haven't you noticed? You three crossed my entire ship, yet have not encountered even a single member of my organization. Brendan… Orpheus has been activated since two hours ago." He stood up from his chair, getting a tight grip on the orb. "By this moment Rainbow Rocket is already setting foothold on our new world, there is nothing you can do about it."

The young ruby-eyed champion faltered, his wobbling legs almost causing him to slip and fall down the steps he has climbed.

"He is bluffing!" Silver said in desperation. "If this Orpheus was working as he claims it works, he would not be here."

"Blood of my blood, yet you know so little about me." Giovanni mocked his son, the older man standing in an overly dramatic pose, with one hand covering his face. "The moment I took Orpheus in my hands and sent my underlings forward to their mission, I felt a terrible pull at the back of my head. Something desperately trying to rip and gash the walls of our world, my arms are still trembling with that dreading sensation. However, despite this being ceaseless attempts to make through, it cannot pierce through the veil while Orpheus is here."

"So, what? You've been here keeping this thing away? Holding this monster back like a selfless hero?" Silver spat angrily at his old man. Yet as much as he scowls and roars, the red-haired young man shows no signs of rushing up towards his father as he did before.

"Selfless Hero? Haha! I never knew you could tell jokes, Silver." Giovanni snorted yet again, giving his son another mocking look. "I stayed here exactly because of this imminent threat. Orpheus is now the anchor, which grounds this world to the others but also keeps this place safe. The moment I take my first step onto the new world with this little thing in my hands, that anchor will be no more."

Brendan quickly pulled his Poké-Ball back to his hand, his pose changing right back to a firm stance. "Then that settles it. Neither you or this thing leaves Hoenn."

"Too bad… I still had things I wish to talk with you." With a quick snap of his fingers, Giovanni commanded the orb in his hand and with that sounds the orb's light died out, a small light wave enveloped the room, making the other three cover their eyes from that. "I will not face you, Brendan. Long-time has passed since I learned my lesson. You can't challenge a guardian, they will always persevere, they will never falter and the more you push them to their limits… the stronger they get." Like the setting light of the sun in the early evening, Giovanni's body began to fade, giving in as if he was dissolving into the air. "In respect for our little dispute, I have held Giratina's coming until your arrival. But now, he is all yours." More and more, the older man began to fade, but his point both of his legs have disappeared, leaving only his torso and part of his face. "Don't fail, Guardian! The world is depending on you."

"Wait! Giovanni!" Silver climbed those steps at light's speed. The red-haired barely missed the last vestige of his father as he jumped on the spot where Giovanni once stood. "GODDAMMIT!"

The entire aircraft began to tremble, no; the entire world began to tremble from the moment Giovanni vanished. From the massive winds on the side and the windshield at the forefront, they could see a sudden night falling on the region, taking away all the light as if someone had snuffed out the sun itself.

"Woaaahh! What is happening?!" Zinnia cried out, desperately trying to keep standing as the ship began to barrel forward with increased speed.

"Giovanni… you COWARD!" Silver roared at the top of his lungs. "He set us up. Look!" He pointed to the front of the ship and despite the darkness taking over the world outside, they can still see the familiar shape of the monstrous big tower. "This thing is probably rigged to crash against the Sky Pillar." Displaying a feline-like display of dexterity, Silver jumped from the top of Giovanni's altar, landing right next to Zinnia but quickly bolting to the exit. "Come on, we need to bail, NOW!"

A single exchange of glances between Zinnia and Brendan was enough for the two to communicate. The draconid girl dashed right after Silver, her attention never leaving the image of her boyfriend, even if he is just a few steps behind her.

With the red-haired as the leader, the trio charge pass the **hallways** and levels that they traveled before, some missteps here and other bumps against the trembling walls there. Despite their desperate battle against time, they managed to get on the same gateway that Brendan blew open a few minutes ago and from there they arrived on the open space at the back of the ship.

With Rayquaza in her care, Zinnia quickly reached for the Poké-Ball in her pockets. However, as her eyes traveled upwards, her body froze instantly, hers and everybody else's. It would be impossible for anyone sane to not simply stop functioning for the moment, to just stare with mouths agape, because…

The sun is gone.

* * *

**Ys Origin OST – Termination ====== ( watch?v=6duvDvwDmyU )**

* * *

Strangeness is a common word on this young trainer's dictionary. To mingle with the odd and embrace the unusual is a familiar ritual to the raven-hared youth, yet even his eccentric life didn't prepare him enough to gaze upon the sight in front of him.

Hoenn has been torn in half, almost in the literal sense of the word. An impossibly massive dome of pure darkness is enveloping everything from the edge of Lilycove City to the now ranging wild waters of the ocean at the southeast side of the region. This stain of black is slowly expanding in a grueling pace but with a merciless non-stop fashion.

"W-what… What is that?!" Ethan's voice echoed with a piercing ring onto Lugia's ears.

If not for his own shock Lugia would have growled in protest of the young guardian's painful voice. The giant silver bird stared at the moving abyss taking control of the land, for the second time in his life feeling a chilling sensation crawling up his back.

" **I've never seen anything quite like that."** Lugia replied quietly, his apprehension somewhat well-hidden but still not invisible for his human companion. **"Can you feel it, Ethan? This sickening sensation creeping in?"**

"Aa… Like a string attached to my body, pulling me forward." His golden eyes glared at the moving blackness, a frown following a low whistle. "As if my soul was being sucked by that thing."

If Ethan's analogy was rhetoric or not doesn't really matter, as Lugia nodded his head, the giant Pokémon moving his wings faster and faster at each passing moment, in a struggle to keep his body in place despite the flow carrying them forward.

" **It seems that we failed."** Lugia spoke in a rare, affected way of speaking, the cold-faced Pokémon showing his own frustration with his words. **"Despite our struggle, the fiend has been unleashed."**

"Not yet! The moment we give up is the moment that we fail entirely."

Is this his own 'curse' taking place inside his chest, or it is only the whim of his own youthfulness? Ethan can barely distinguish the difference anymore. That thing is terrifying, even the mighty Lugia is feeling the weight of such a catastrophic image upon his eyes, yet Ethan feels exactly the opposite. Seeing that expanding sphere of darkness in front of him just fills the young guardian with nothing but determination.

"Lugia." Ethan called out, patting the giant beast on the back of his neck with one hand. "Let's go forward. If you are scared, just ignore those feelings and put your focus on me. Trust me, as I trust you."

"…" The giant silvered legendary glanced backward, getting a brief view of Ethan's face. For a while, he stood in silence, taking in his companion's words. **"Don't spill nonsense, brat. It would take a lot more than that to scare me."** Lugia replied with a grumpy snort, but his sincere grin betraying his tough act.

Ethan smiled in response, taking his proper spot on Lugia's back. With a soft push with the palm of his hand, the young trainer commanded the legendary bird forward and Lugia flew right in. Taking strength on Ethan's ever-burning courage, the duo swept head-on against the enlarging darkness, both sucking their breath as Lugia approached the blackened walls.

Getting so close that they are inches away from it, Ethan can see from what this is gigantic sphere is made of. A thin layer of fog, a black veil made of pure negative energies, swirling and traveling in this up-climbing flow like an opposite waterfall.

When Lugia finally clashed against this dome, they discovered that this thing is not only for the looks and for scares. At first, Lugia bounced right back, pushed away by an unstoppable force. He felt no pain or stress over his body, only the 'softness' of the fog, which felt a lot like rubber.

Taking distance and even more speed at this next attempt, Lugia rammed against the same spot yet again; fighting and pushing his way in, not letting that strange force get a hold of his momentum and push them back again. After a very hard scuffle with the rubbery thing, the tip of his head pierced the veil, and as if that served as the key, the force which was so desperately trying to push them back just stopped, now instead sucking both of them inside with a powerful vacuum.

"We made it!" Ethan cheered as they were tossed inside the 'night-fall' land. "This is still Hoenn, right?" He glanced at the area in front of him, barely being able to see anything past the nightmarish darkness.

" **Up ahead, I can see that giant tower from before."** Lugia pointed with his head to a faint silhouette at the back.

Without being asked to do it, he flapped his wings rapidly, flying at a high speed towards the Sky Pillar. As they approached the structure, another figure appeared from within the dark; Giovanni's flying aircraft, slowly descending towards the tower, tip down and aimed at the summit like a straight arrow locked in its target.

Lugia flew in, swooping below the ship and doing a flip to the side to pull ahead and get in front of the thing.

"Can you blow it up?" Ethan asked.

" **Should I blow it up?"** Lugia replied with a concerned tone. **"What if there still somebody in there."**

"Nobody is there and even if there was someone in there, they will just get squished to death when this thing collapses against the tower." Ethan stared that the glossy windows at the front, looking for any signs of people but sadly seeing nothing. "If you can do it, just explode this thing! If we let it fall, it will explode on the island, we don't know what will do to the rest of the area around it."

Lugia watched the aircraft loom in closer and closer against the tower. He had to make a choice and quickly; so in the lack of confidence in his own suggestion, he followed what Ethan proposed. Opening his mouth, Johto's Lord of the Sea began to draw his power in a pure ball of energy. The wind howling and the sea crashing with waves after waves in the wake of its master call.

Aim locked and resolve made, Lugia rocked his head forward, ready to unleash his destructive power against the falling machinery. It was then, that something even more incredible happened.

The ship vanished.

That massive flying structure, made of metal simply disappeared. However, it did not fade away like a simple drop of water inside of a half-full bucket; right as Lugia was ready to blow it to bits, a chunk of black just erupted at the tip of the ship, in the blink of an eye, this wall of darkness surrounded the ship and just consumed it like it was nothing.

"You saw that?" Ethan asked with a shocked expression.

That was not all. This piece of oblivion still stood there, flying in the air, getting flat as a plank of wood and turning straight to face the two. From within that board of darkness, two massive red eyes appeared, staring down at Lugia with a hungering rage ready to devour and destroy.

" **That is…"**

"Giratina?!"

It was then that Giratina let its voice out, a roar so fierce and powerful that even the still lingering clouds on the sky scattered away, the earth trembled as if the world was being ripped apart in its core and any other sound apart from this monstrous screech just disappeared.

A pair of onyx tinged wings, with sharp red blades at its edge, spread on the darkened sky above. Golden, grey and black, with a violent burst of power, a body took form right in front of Lugia; a body that is twice as bigger than his, larger and more threatening in every other way. A dragon with three sets of legs waving wildly without support, a monster with a killer intent so powerful that even his glance was enough to force Lugia to move backward.

" **Ethan, JUM-"**

Before Lugia could finish his sentence, his entire body just went flying downwards, spiraling out of control against the top of the Sky Pillar. Giratina from where he was standing unleashed a black tendril of energy, this monstrous new member of his body tackling the silver bird out of the sky in one single hit.

Brendan, Zinnia, and Silver barely had the time to jump and hug one of the decrepit pillars at the summit of the tower, before a massive white body came crashing upon the place.

"Ethan!" Silver shouted from the top of his voice. The red-haired shivered with just the after-image of what he saw.

The ruby-eyed trainer made a move to jump over to the newly open crater at the center of the floor, but his head turned around in pure instinct, his gaze spotting the massive creature flying down towards them.

"Zinnia, Go!" He called to his lover and immediately, waved to the air.

"What?! No, I will not leave." She protested angrily, not even paying attention to the looming shadow descending upon them.

Brendan gritted his teeth, he has no time to argue or explain anything for her right now. "Rayquaza!" He shouted again, taking out the accursed black Poké-Ball from one of his pockets.

Responding to his heated words, the lord of the skies broke himself out of his round 'prison'. The sudden show of light startling Zinnia as the Poké-Ball just jumped out of her hands and exploded on its own, letting Rayquaza out. Imagine the draconid's girl surprise, when she noticed that the tower's grounds were far below now and that her feet are standing upon the giant back of Hoenn's deity, with Silver standing a few paces behind her.

"Brendan! I will not leave you here." She screeched even louder, reading herself to jump out of Rayquaza's back.

"You don't need to." Brendan replied with his own raised voice. "We can't all fight on top of Rayquaza. Just stay with him and take the sky."

Any spare time he had to convince Zinnia just expired when Giratina crash-landed at the tip of Sky Pillar, the entire structure shaking and wobbling with the force of the Pokémon's body. Brendan in an outburst reaction tossed his Poké-Ball forward, letting Groudon out right in front of him.

"Gooo!" He shouted loudly, his words getting Rayquaza to fly up into the air and Groudon to charge against Giratina.

Once more the Sky Pillar trembled, now at the clash of the giants. Groudon in his original primal form tackled, pushed and even bit at the side of Giratina's massive form. However, even in his most desperate struggle, the molten titan managed to burn and even pierce the skin of the massive grey dragon, but Giratina didn't move an inch from where he landed.

For their initial clash against one another, Giratina just received everything his challenger had to throw at him. The beast winced and growled heavily as Groudon magma-heated teeth sung onto his flesh, a large gush appearing on the upper side of his left just above his first leg. As his own impassive body stopped Groudon's charge, Giratina did a long swing of his neck whipping his own head next to Groudon's face as his legs pressed forward.

The trembling of the tower only got worse, Giratina unstoppable advance continued to go forward, pushing and trampling upon anything on its path, the molten titan included.

Brendan and Groudon both felt dumbstruck at the ridiculousness of the scene. The red Primal, in almost every single instance before was the unstoppable force wreaking havoc upon the land, stomping, and marching mercilessly in his destructive path. Now he looks like a piece of garbage being handled like nothing by the dragon twice his size, who keeps pushing and tackling the molten giant body's every moment closer to the gaping crater where Lugia fell.

"Groudon, you have to push him back!" Brendan shouted from the back.

" **Hg…. What… Gah…. YOU THINK I'M DOING?"** Roared the red titan. His feet grinding against the floor harshly as his body is being pushed and tackled backward, the giant hole getting closer and closer to him. It was then that a small thump echoed at his back, followed by the tickling sensation of something crawling up his body. **"Have you lost your mind?! Get off me, Brendan!"**

"Shut it! You're clearing losing this one." Brendan continued to climb upon Groudon's back, the heat of the primal's back instantly making him sweat and even making his throat try. Yet, it is not unbearable like the last time he attempted this; maybe his 'infusion' with the red orb has made him immune or at least resistant to the blazing inferno that is Groudon's body.

" **And – Hg!"** Groudon's head bobbed harshly upwards with a fiercer push of the grey demon. The crimson giant stomping his right foot against an elevated part of the floor, taking small support in it and getting enough moment to stop Giratina in its rampage. **"How are you going to help, exactly?"**

As Groudon growled his last word of complaint, the whoosh of object grazed the side of his head. One of the half-broken pillars at the side of the summit just came in flying and bashed itself against Giratina's head, breaking into a thousand pieces but also damaging the abyss devourer just enough for Groudon to push it back for the first time.

"Like that!" Replied Brendan all too triumphantly, the ruby-eyed youth is standing atop of Groudon's broad neck, a smug smirk on his face. Glancing upwards to the boy who so recklessly has joined the battle, Groudon also grinned, feeling a strange comfort of the support coming from this human.

Their victory, however, was short-lived. Giratina immediately brushed off the dazedness clouding his eyes; the powerful dragon roaring like a clap of thunder, his deep red eyes glaring with a hungering fury at the red giant. Letting out his destructive power fly from his body, Giratina pushed forward again, tackling Groudon with even more force.

Once again Groudon felt his body getting trash backward like a worthless piece of rock, but as his feet began to grind against the trembling floor yet again, he felt a part of himself, a surge of his own powers come to life without his command or even instincts. From above, three other pillars came flying in, all the crashing down upon Giratina, forcing the dragon back yet again.

With the dust of that impact settling in, Groudon understood how much Brendan would influence this battle. While he is all too preoccupied with his physical contest against that unbelievably strong fiend, Brendan acts as the beacon to use and direct his power over the land, granting him an equal footing on this battle.

That, however, is a concept that Giratina itself does not share with the red primal. This time don't even taking the moment to rage and shout about the place, the grey menace jumped against its foe with dazzling speed. As Groudon pushed and Brendan began to weave the loose pieces of masonry around them, a flurry of dark tendrils erupted from the ground. These dark members flushing against Groudon with a fervor of a bloodlust fiend; each tendril pushing, slashing and bashing on Groudon, and at each hit, the primal got pushed back three times harder than before.

Proving how much of a kill-intended his mindset is, Giratina only elevated his number of attacks after noticing a slight opening on his opponent's part.

It was then, right before Groudon got pushed into the pit in the middle of the tower that a spiral-beam of white energy descended from the sky. Violent gushes of wind vibrated and echoed from within this flow of energy, flickers of lightning spreading down as that massive ray simply crushed Giratina's form against the floor.

"Brendan!" Zinnia shouted from above, getting the young champion's attention. "We go your back from up here. So, beat that thing down!" Ridding on the great Rayquaza's back, the energetic Lorekeeper swoop above the tower's tip, an apprehensive Silver still accompanying her on the length of the green dragon.

" **Aided by the usurper… such disgrace."** Groudon complained with a low voice, hiding the little appreciation he feels for having been saved from a pretty bad fall.

"Aided by our friends." Brendan corrected. "But you would have complained even if was Kyogre helping out, wouldn't you?"

" **Gah… That would be even worse."** This time Groudon outright roared up to the sky, even the thought of working together with his aquatic nemesis made his dormant rage flare right up again.

" **Pain…"** A deep voice ringed from within the whitish fog that surrounds the place where Rayquaza unleashed his power. This voice much deeper and colder than even Groudon's body-shaking voice. **"This pain pales against my hundred ones."** With the view clearing up and the white smoke clearing away, the owner of said voice stood up, eyes never more focused and rilled up. **"Ever reaching, ever consuming, the abyss doesn't forgive… The abyss doesn't forget."**

"It talks?!" Brendan stood above Groudon with wide-open eyes, staring at the trembling dragon.

" **Cower in fear mortals. The abyss has come, for I am your OBLIVION!"** Responding to his deafening drums of a roar, a pool of light-consuming darkness expanded on the ground across Sky Pillar's summit. From within this expanding void, a fan of members exploded upwards; this time, not sleazy thin tendrils, but an army of dark claws, which are bigger and wider than Groudon's extensive body.

The first set of claws who erupted from below detached themselves from the tread of shadow linking them to the pool. They kept going and flying at full speed after the emerald deity soaring the sky. Rayquaza had to fly at the top of his speed to avoid being pierced by the numerous sharp projectiles aiming at him, even then, the powerful dragon winced and growled as a few ones manage to graze the side of his long serpentine body.

The second volley of attack didn't follow the same pattern. These ones surfed on the 'ocean' of shadows available to them, feeling a lot faster with their links still attached to their source. Jumping out like hungry piranhas, the first three claws scraped Groudon at the side of each arm, taking out the titan's balance. Following that, a flurry of five more claws exploded from bellow with flash-like speed. All five exploding heavily on the primal's chest, the strike reaching him with enough force to take Groudon's feet out of the ground and launch his body straight ahead to the pit at the center.

As Groudon and Brendan reached the space above the crater, a massive hurricane exploded from bellow. The sheer force of these winds is strong enough to hold and push the molten titan back to firm ground at the side.

From within this cloudy-white storm, a bruised Lugia charge forward, his white body covered with dust and some ugly wounds. At his back an equally bruised and beat Ethan, holding with both hands at hid companion's back. Despite the white legendary leaving his own typhoon, the things never lose power, instead, it only grew wider and wilder.

"Have a taste of this, you son of a bi-" Ethan's voice vanished behind the sound of that explosive current of air turning and lashing on upon Giratina's body. Once again, the tower in its entirety felt the hit of another legendary attack, this time, half of the higher structures stumbling and falling down to the sea far, far below.

"Ethan!" Brendan cheered as Lugia landed at the spot next to Groudon.

"Hey there, champ." The gold-eyed boy glanced at his friend with a bright smirk on his lips. "Wanna little help with our angry friend?"

Another screech escaped Giratina's mouth when another one of Rayquaza's beam of energy exploded on top of him, leaving the exiled Pokémon no time to get his bearings after getting washed away by a giant tornado. Yet, despite the combination of world-shaking attacks completely knocking him out of his feet, Giratina quickly pulled himself back up on his feet yet again.

"Godammit! Doesn't matter how much we hit that thing it just keeps getting back up." Brendan cursed loudly, his gaze firm on the furious devil in front of them.

While Giratina stands as tall and stronger as when first the landed on the tower, a little detail changed about him. A small flickering of dark light, gathering just behind him, a very tiny change in the air around the grey dragon. A changing that escaped everyone's eyes, everyone's but Ethan's.

"I got this, man." Ethan declared with his usual self-confidence. "We got this…" He looked back to Brendan and seeing the little confusion on the red-eyes boy's face; the raven-haired swung his right arm high, showing a glowing white orb in his hand.

"That is!?"

"Yeah, Dialga's orb thingy." Ethan replied. "He gave me a warning, more like a hint. This little thing here, this is the key to push Giratina back to the scary hell it came from."

"So you know how to defeat this?" Brendan beamed happily.

"Not really, haha." Ethan's goofy reply instantly deflated his brown-haired friend. "I just feel it, you know? Holding this orb in my hands… I get the feeling of what to do, not really how, but I know that I can beat this monster."

"If you're that confident… then let's do this." Brendan felt his own flames burning high again; Groudon stepping forward as if reading what his guardian is thinking. "Whatever you need to do, we will cover you up."

"Thanks, champ." Ethan beamed. "Just keep him occupied for long enough, we will hit him with something that would demolish even Ho-Oh… please don't tell him that." Setting his friend off to clash against the angry exiled Pokémon yet again, Ethan settled his forehead against the soft feathers of Lugia's back. "You trust me, right?" He whispered quietly.

"…" Lugia continued to watch the fierce battle between Groudon and Giratina, but his true attention directed at the calm words of his partner. **"Maybe I do."** For the first time in his long life, the mighty lord of the sea is feeling abashed, even embarrassed by the closeness of him and his human companion.

Ethan grinned. "Thank you. That means a lot, Lugia." He pulled himself back, a completely serious expression washing his face anew of emotions. "Put everything on this one, unleash the last inch of power you have inside."

" **If I do that…"**

"I know, but it will not matter." Ethan responded sternly. "After hitting him with our own rage, you can go ahead and sleep for a while. I will take care of the rest."

" **As you wish, Guardian."** Lugia closed his eyes and took a long, calm breath.

Sitting with complete serene concentration, Lugia began to channel every bit of power at the core of his being. At his back, Ethan pressed one hand at his body, helping and guiding that raw energy into a single point. Their hearts beating as one, their beings crossing into one another and sipping on each other presence. This level of connection is overwhelming, for both of them, yet so powerful that is making Lugia and Ethan glow with its intensity.

Ethan's gold eyes shot wide open, their glow overflowing, and their light so strong that pushed its boundaries of their sockets. "Brendan!" He called out to his friend with a loud and fierce shout. "Get away from it, NOW!"

Brendan nodded without looking back. He swung his arms in the air, and from the island ground way down at the side of Sky Pillar, huge boulders flew up. Controlling the power of nature as if he is bending the earth, the young trainer brought up a rain of rocks and threw them at Giratina, giving Groudon enough space to leap away from the overpowered dragon.

That was it, a clean line between Lugia and Giratina has appeared, opening the silvered bird to get a clear shot at his target. With that, Lugia opened his mouth and all the power he had stored in his chest came flowing right out of him. Having his voice as the trigger, a storm, smaller in size than the last one but ten times stronger in its intensity, raged on. Gushes of winds sharper than razor blades and studier than pure diamond, this horizontal hurricane didn't just clash upon Giratina, this thing completely engulfed the grey dragon, not leaving even a piece of it out of that destructive mayhem.

By the time Lugia's ranging winds had died out, the northern tip of Sky Pillar had disappeared as it had never existed before. The sheer brutality of the Lord of the Sea's attack was so great, that even Giratina's giant dome of darkness felt the brunt of it; with a large chunk had evaporated, forming a giant circle in its surface where the sunlight freely shined inside.

Soaring in the sky with his ever-watchful eyes, Rayquaza felt struck by that monstrous display of power. The emerald dragon had never held Johto's deities in high regard, yet Lugia had managed to surprise him with something that could easily fell him in battle if he ever let that hit his body.

Still, where Lugia showed an offensive power akin to the great dragon's level, the white bird has not the same type of resilience or stamina. Right after letting out his power free, his eyes shut down and his body landed against the floor; his body completely taken by exhaustion, to which Ethan jumped to the side and called his friend back to his Poké-Ball.

The receiver of said ability has finally shown himself once again. The sight of Giratina at this shape is one that defies logic, half of his body is gone, completely turned to a liquid mush, while to the other half is all wrinkled and contorted. Oozing from his wounds is not the usual red of blood, but instead an inky black liquid that refuses to obey gravity and fall. This goop that is leaking from his body began to rise up and recollect itself on the shredded spot, reforming his body anew.

Being in such a deformed state, Giratina has little power to control the maelstrom forming behind him. That strange phenomenon from before, now gaining a lot of moment and power in the exiled one's weakness. A vortex of blackened energy popped up, its sole objective being to pull Giratina back to where he belongs.

"Not yet…" Ethan whispered to himself. "This is not over yet. Brendan, watch my back!"

Charging without a sign of fear in his eyes, the golden guardian went for the 'kill', holding his right arm forward, trusting that orb onto Giratina's way.

This whole turning of events took the massive dragon by surprise. Not even in his lifetime of imprisonment he had dreamed of anything capable of doing that to him, in reality, not even the being responsible for his exile has ever able to damage his body so badly. So a new sentiment flourished inside the herald of hatred for the first time, desperation.

Giratina's mangled body pulled itself together in an instant, the grey dragon rushing his steps forward in his resistance against the call of his prison. In his moment of despair, he opened his mouth and a deafening screech slipped from his dark lips. To say that the world trembled yet again would be too little to define what is happening; it felt as the reality itself began to take a different shape. In a way, that is exactly what happened next.

A massive hole opened up in the sky right above the Sky Pillar. One of the many pools of darkness he had created before, but this time no tendrils or claws poured from inside. This time, the tip of a metallic structure appeared, then half of it and right next the entire aircraft of the Rainbow Rocket came to existed yet again, right above Ethan and Brendan.

Giratina shouted once more, this time, less desperate and more violent.

Ethan stopped in his tracks; eyes wide open like a saucer, staring right up to the human-made 'meteor' ready to crash upon his head. He felt so out of his normal self that any motor function of his body stopped to work properly as if he had been eject from his own self. It was not until Brendan slid to his side and pulled him down, that the golden-eyed youth got back to his senses.

"Hold your head down!" Brendan commanded. "I will try to keep us safe."

With that said, Groudon stepped behind both trainers, the red giant putting him above them and shielding his own head with massive rock-made shields coming out of his arms. Brendan moved his own arms around and created a giant barrier around all three of them.

Burning up in furious hatred, Giratina made no motion or effort to guard itself against the impact. The beast only rushed the metallic ship to fall even quicker, releasing a maddening war cry, which caused its dark portal to pulse with energy and shoot the entire ship like a torpedo down the tower.

From that point forward, Giovanni's flying piece of work came crashing in a violent explosion on top of the Sky Pillar. Either be by all the components inside the ship, by Giratina's influence or by Groudon's own powers, what really matters is that a terrifying explosion swallowed the island.

Giratina, Groudon, Ethan, and Brendan… All of them got engulfed inside that catastrophic impact.

* * *

**Persona 3 'The Journey' – The Battle for Everyone's Souls ====== ( watch?v=lbhz0O0dAyk )**

* * *

A heavy cough pulled the strings of his mind back to consciousness, the sultry air filling his lungs with the bits of dust causing him to cough yet again, harder and rougher this time. Even opening his eyes is a struggle, but his golden gems fought their way into the gaze of the foggy world in front of them. Ethan tried to speak, but his throat is so dry that even the elevation of his breathing made him wince in pain.

He tried to pull himself up, only to hit his back against some wreckage, which luckily for him, is being held high enough from his body by a stack of deformed and crushed rocks. So, crawling his way outside that mess of everything pilled up on top of each other, Ethan got face landed into the moist sands next to the water.

"Brendan…" He tried to shout, but yet voice would not come out with enough strength to reach the ground beneath his feet. Groggily stumbling his way on top of the debris of old masonry, metal, and even solid stones; Ethan reached the highest point on the island again, which is not very far from the sea level. His eyes calmly scanned the area around him, looking for the massive structure that was Sky Pillar, but only finding it remains all scattered across the place.

With utter exhaustion knocking on the door, he felt his stamina giving in and his knees slamming down against the sharp and pointy rocks on the ground. Groaning in pain, Ethan shook his head three times to stay awake, but only when another explosion erupted a bit ahead, that his senses got high alerted again.

A beam of dark light erupted skywards, Giratina swinging its head and opening its mouth even wider to enlarge the beam. His target flying at such high speed that is almost impossible to reach it with a single attack. So, the grey dragon spread its giant black wings, commanding several rifts to open around Rayquaza and unleash a storm of claws that cascaded into a flurry of attacks, trying to grab the emerald dragon.

As swift as Rayquaza is, two of the claws managed to get a hold of his body by the end tail. This painfully strong grip slowing down his pace allowed several others to latch onto him and ensnare the mighty Pokémon in place.

Dark red eyes sparkling with a murderous glow, Giratina trashed its head onto Rayquaza's direction, a devilish delight appearing in its features with the imminent success of its attack. To the abyssal invader's surprise, Groudon's molten-heated claw swiped in from the right, clashing against Giratina's face right from below and forcing the dragon to miss its target.

Giratina wailed, screamed and roared all at the same time. The beast turned its gaze down to the red primal but quickly felt its eyes averting back to the sky as a massive pillar of rock erupted from below and rocketed its head upwards again.

Ethan watched with a certain degree of disbelief as Groudon began to pummel Giratina down with a merciless repertoire of slashes, bites and the occasional hammering with giant boulders. The dragon that was holding the upper hand against three legendaries at the same time, is now being pressured by just Groudon. Using the rest of its power to suppress the ever-growing vortex trying to pull his body back to exile, Giratina has little to nothing to throw back at his opponent.

It was then that Ethan saw a lonely figure standing fairly close to the fight of the mighty beasts up ahead. A silent Brendan, head hanging low and a very familiar white orb sparkling brightly at the hold of his right hand.

The golden-eyed champion tried to run towards his friend, a growing ill-sensation bursting inside of his chest. With his feet moving so fast, but his senses not following, Ethan eventually fell face flat against the rough surface, bruising his face even more.

"Brendan…" He tried to shout again, but a soft whisper came out.

He saw the ruby-eyed boy talking, at least his jaws are moving and his arms are gesturing at someone, something… but there is nobody there.

Ethan clenched his teeth; he forced his body up again but his surge of strength leaving him as soon as his knees got support against some rocks. "BRENDAN!" His voice finally mustered enough force to echo all around the island, but effort making Ethan hack and cough even rougher.

Hearing the sound of his friend's voice, Brendan turned around. His ruby eyes showing some signs of change; in fact, his left one is an entire color altogether, a slight deep green with a tint of blue shivering around his pupil. The brown-haired champion looked at his bruised comrade and a gentle smile appeared on his lips. He said nothing, not even a word slipped through his lips; but the genuine grateful expression showing on his face is more telling than an entire sentence.

Feverish desperation rushed into Ethan's chest, he tried to get up again, but only managed to hit the ground with his chin. He raised his head just to see Brendan turn around and run at full speed towards the trashing grey dragon.

Reaching Giratina in a more minute, Brendan surprised everyone who is watching the scene unfold. He slid past down the dragon's dark wings and jumped on his feet right behind Giratina. Right then, he leaped forward yet again, thrusting his arm forward, the young trainer hit that growing vortex with the glowing orb.

Like a fragile soap bubble, the little round thing popped, its light pouring inside that blackened vacuum creating a small puddle of white inside that sea of darkness. Then from the center of that turmoil a sharp beam of white shoot out, everything caught in its path simply evaporating into nothing, that including the airborne young man who caused that reaction.

A spear made of light pierced at the back of the giant grey dragon, taking out a chilling scream out of the desperate monster. Giratina trashed, rolled and tried to fly away, but its body slowly getting dragged inside that vortex which was threatening to swallow him from the start. Its right wing was the first thing to touch that spiral of darkness, the thing just turning into little grains of shadowy ashes and getting sucked into the abyss yet again. In its final struggle Giratina turned around and tried to blow that rift with a beam of pure energy; the attack hit and exploded, but only served to enlarge the hungry void, making the process way faster.

In the end, a bright show of light ended everything, the vortex disappeared and the dome of darkness which blocked the sun going with it.

Gathering himself up, Ethan stumbled forward. He walked and walked, his hands trembling and his eyes in shock. A few steps away from where Brendan disappeared, he fell to his knees again.

"What…" He gritted his teeth. "What have you done?" His words exhaling a grim tone, a subtly anger boiling up inside of him. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He asked again, his golden eyes fixated on a small round object lying on the ground.

It was then, that a different pair of boots landed on the broken island. This newcomer casually walked over and grabbed the Poké-Ball on the ground. The last member of Giovanni's enforcers looked at his prize with a wicked grin on his lips.

He glanced at Ethan and chuckled. "I've just won." Josh said with dark delight.

* * *

How long has it been?

Opening his blue eyes and gazing at the clear sky above him, that was the first question popping on his head. Stirring with an aching body, Spiegel rolled over, pushing his hand against a broad blue surface and getting up on his feet yet again.

" **You're awake… finally."** Kyogre's voice ringed from up ahead.

"Where… are we?" A sleepy Spiegel asked, rubbing the back of his head with a lazy motion. Studying his surroundings, the not-so-dead doppelganger saw the form of four Pokémon, all spread across Kyogre's back, each sleeping and tired after their ordeal. A soft smile broke his lips apart after seeing everyone is safe and sound together with him.

" **Not too far from Hoenn."** The blue titan responded. **"But don't get too happy yet, I felt the world tremble three times where you were asleep. Something dangerous is happening there."**

"The world trembling?" Spiegel's dazedness quickly snapped away. "Why didn't you wake me up? Come on, we need to go over there and-"

" **Sp… Spiegel?"** Brendan's voice echoed inside his head, just like Kyogre communicates with him when they are apart from each other. **"Can you hear me? I think you can. Heh, every day I learn something new in this Guardian thingy."**

"Brendan?" Spiegel looked around, trying to see someone that is not really there.

" **I don't have much time, so hear me out. Just like Rayquaza said, I am staring death right in its face… it's weird to feel like this."**

"No… No, no, no, NO!" Spiegel grabbed the side of his head, his expression changing to a pained grimace. "It's me. Come on, it was supposed to be me."

" **Stay with me, Spiegel. I need you to promise me something."** Brendan's voice carried a soothing feeling to them, a feeling that managed to grip Spiegel back into reality again, even if for just a moment. **"Father, Mother and our baby sister, July. They will need you, don't be a jerk like me, don't push yourself away from our family."**

By this point, Spiegel's face is already a mess of tears. His head swinging from one side to another in denial.

" **Gosh, the league… Steven… Stay strong for them too, okay?"** Brendan paused for a moment, a brief sigh interrupting his words. **"Zinnia and Aster, they will need you the most. Please tell them that I love them… I love them more than anything."**

"NO DAMMIT! You tell them, you live and take care of everyone. That was our deal." Spiegel shouted. "Please… don't."

" **See you later, little brother."**

As their connection faded away, Spiegel gaged in his words. He fell to his knees and began to say an absurd amount of incoherent gibberish, his body rocking back and forward, now both hands grasping at the side of his head, in his pain he didn't even notice how his broken arm began to move like it was nothing.

" **Brat? Kid, compose yourself!"** Kyogre called out to him, but the titan's voice failed to reach him. **"Spiegel, listen to my voic-"**

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! HGH... GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Wailing like a banshee, Spiegel sprung his upper body forward, his forehead bashing onto Kyogre's hard skin. A light gush opened on the doppelganger pale skin, the leaking blood running down and marking a line from the top of his head onto the bridge of his nose. His eyes turned completely white for a moment, then from that emptiness a sharp green gloom sprung to life, his pupils changing in a scary way, getting a more slit form akin to a reptile. "SHUT UP, SHUUUUT UUP!"

At that moment, all four Pokémon who were sleeping jumped right back up. Their eyes slowly opening just to show the same green light that is burning on Spiegel's sockets. Even Kyogre after trying to peek inside his guardian's mind, felt himself getting lost and swallowed by that wild turmoil of emotions; the blue titan lost the bright yellow color of his eyes, instead getting the same form of domination that the other four fell under those green eyes.

After minutes of screaming and outright insane behavior on the doppelganger's part, he suddenly stopped. With his head still pressed onto Kyogre's back, Spiegel stopped moving, stopped talking and almost seemed as if he had stopped breathing. In that chilling silence, Kyogre slowly began to move, his head turning and aiming at his home region sitting far away on the horizon.

* * *

_On a side note:_ _I would like to give you guys a little sneak-peek onto the ending of the arc that is coming with the next chapter. Nothing too much, just a some words and a preview of what will come._

_Solitude is the way of the fallen._

_Twisted, confused…_

_A lack of motivation is the stain that fogs its mind._

_A fog-drenched in madness, a key to chaos, which should never get clear._

_For when dark clouded-eyes opens themselves to reality._

_A lonely feather shall grace the earth._

_The black quill of the unspoken prelude._

_To the birth of the world's enemy._

* * *

**Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII - The World's Enemy ===== (** **watch?v=4T7FlxbO50Y )**

* * *

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	35. Grey Out Sky

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _This chapter took a long, long time to make. I'm sorry about this huge delay between the last one and this one, but I really wanted to get this one right, as this is the final part of the three chapters long battle. Well, I will not hold you guys up here any longer, any additional commentary I will just leave as a_ _P.S at the end._

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII - One Winged Angel === ( watch?v=t7wJ8pE2qKU )**

* * *

"Won…?" Ethan stared at this man's ecstatic features, that gleaming smirk plastered on those lips are making his inside turn, vibrate in utter disgust. He tried to stand up, stand fast and strong against another threat; yet the pain and exhaustion held him down, knees touching the blasted ground, eyes facing down. "This is not a game… After all that we did, after what have been lost…" Golden gems flared up in full-blown anger, hatred even. Were his body once failed to bring him up for his morals, the blazing fury managed to carry out the bidding. Slowly, and trembling, Ethan got up on his feet, both hands trembling by his side as his teeth grind in an unhealthy fit. "Your twisted joke is everything but funny, YOU BLASTED LUNATIC!"

"Ha… Ha-ha… Hehahahah!" Holding his arms against his body, arching sideways with trembling eyes and having an almost child-like whimsical fit of giggles; Josh stared at Ethan, his body unstable in its manners and his mind consumed into a frenzy of delight. "Oh, I can feel it. My entire body is shaking, see look at my arms… I got goosebumps." Taking two messy steps forward, the young red-eyed man posed both arms forward, showing the state of the thin, almost inexistence, hairs of his arms. "I wanted this so much, Ethan. I dreamed of this my whole life."

A violent snarl flew by Ethan's mouth. His right foot stomped loudly on the uneven rocks in front of him, his entire being riling up with twisted emotions, a feeling that he has never felt before. "What the hell are you talking about?" He demanded, his voice storming out in a thunderous echo.

"It is written in legends, no, it is determined by fate itself. Whenever the situation is the direst, when everything seems lost… That's when a Guardian shows his true strength; a terrifying power which can force mountains to bend forward and the sky to descend on us." Getting more and more wild in his demeanor, Josh walked even closer, his eyes welcoming the other trainer to come forward, the sparkle in the color of his eyes defying that man to step forward and challenge him. "I can feel it, Ethan. Your rage… or determination…? I can't put a name to it, but something so pure and so strong is exploding out of you. To stand against this is so frightening, so exhilarating! So this is how it feels to stand against a Guardian on the cliff of the end."

"Why…" Ethan said in a low voice, his venting anger fading for a moment, getting overtaken by an endless wave of confusion. "Why, goddamit?!" His eyes, still burning with passionate anger, drifted from that sickening smirk on Josh's face, setting them on the trembling Poké-Ball sitting at that man's hand. "Why did you pull Giratina back to our world?! WHY DID YOU CAPTURE IT?! You can't control that monster, NO ONE CAN! It will destroy you, it will destroy everything."

"What makes you think that I care?" The reply was dry and direct, downcast eyes slowly raising to meet those heated golden gems. "Giratina this, Giratina that… Open your eyes, Guardian! The true monster is standing right here in front of you." His dark coldness slightly returning to him as Josh stepped to the side, circling about Ethan. "I solved the mystery, Ethan. I ascended where even Red failed. I don't need to be a tool for some being; the shackles that once were forcibly bound into me… I shattered them." Turning on his heels instantly, making a straight line to Ethan, Josh let his lips quirk up in a crooked smile as he pulled a second Poké-Ball out of his pockets.

Hurled forward in a controlled swing, the round object bounced on the ground; raising up against the twisted debris and exploding in a wave of light. A hard smack echoed from the leveled island, a pink tail bashed some loose rocks in the air, the air lash escaping from the hit blowing the ever-present dust out; revealing the form of tormented and angry looking Mewtwo.

"Gaze upon the terrible mutation created by humans, a crafted being of immense power." Resuming his speech, Josh raised one arm and pointed at his newly revealed Pokémon. "Similar to Mew in powers, I conquered this beast! No servitude for me, _fellow Guardian_. I am better than those creatures and I am better than you."

Ethan slowly opened his mouth, his lips parting away, yet no words escaped him. He looked down upon the destruction he is standing upon, then, he shook his head. A very exhausted sigh erupted from him, one hand fiddling inside his large pockets, pulling two Poké-Balls out of his set.

Shimmering sparks flew from the ground; soon a blazing wave erupted from the cracks. Two forms stood behind the curtain of fire, two pairs of piercing eyes glaring forward with a golden gloom in its wake. Flames and Proto, Typhlosion and Scizor, two of Ethan's most trusted companions stepped forward, vibrating with the ringing tone of their friend's rage.

"I see…" Ethan's voice sounds serene and distant, as if his outrage had deflated into a dejected admission. "There's no arguing with a monster, is there?" Despite his constant struggle to remain on his feet, the raven-haired champion stepped forward; his clumsy pacing is slow but current, taking him to the middle spot between Flames and Proto. "I will face you as you want to be recognized by, as a threat to this region. Without Brendan here, It falls to me to deal with this… Flames, Proto!"

Both Pokémon grunt in response, each taking an offensive stance in front of their trainer.

His once radiant golden eyes are gloomy; the powerful glint of those gems now faint, flickering between golden and their original grey color. "This is a battle we cannot lose, not when my friend gave his everything to try and save his home."

"That's it, Ethan! I am the threat; I AM THE MONSTER. Now show me; show the true power of a Guardian." The crazed dark-haired youth pulled another Poke-Ball from his pockets, swinging it forward and calling out his terrifying Aegislash. "I will be the one victorious today; in your very best, I will topple you… I will be known as the person who KILLED the infamous Ethan!"

Josh's enflamed proclamation served as the trigger to start everything. Flames and Proto jumped in at furious speed, even the always-collected Typhlosion losing his composition after those venom-infused words.

Dashing swiftly across the chaotic battlefield, Proto aimed both claws at the taunting man; ignoring every normal behavior and instinct, the red-metallic bug went straight to kill that person, sensing the extreme urgency and dread oozing out from Ethan. Yet, before those sharp claws could get close enough to reach Josh, a collision of metal against metal echoed all around as Aegislash flew in and bashed against Proto's attack.

Never before Ethan's Scizor was matched in speed in such perfect manner, even worse, never before his attack was so easily read by an enemy. The sudden realization that this Pokémon could not only match him but also anticipate his movements, left the red speedster completely dazed for a moment. This slight relapse in concentration felt like an eternity for both Proto and his opponent; Aegislash began a violent assault of slashes and bashes, attacking from multiple sides, unleashing an unhinged barrage against the dazed bug. Proto grunted, gasped and finally yelled painfully as his body went flying down against pointy rocks.

From the other side of this conjunct battle, Flames correctly set his aim at the floating menace standing between him and the red-eyed trainer. Pulling his head backward and them trashing forward furiously, he unleashed a molten wave of flames. The power behind this attack was so great that any rock caught in its way, instantly melted into a mess of liquid flame, flying together with the blazing inferno. Mewtwo watched as the tornado of flame spiraled toward him, and moving one hand up, pressing his three-round fingers together an invisible barrier appeared in front of him. Fire and melted stone clashed against the psychic-wall, sparkles and steam exploding everywhere as Flame's attack destroyed everything around them but failed to grasp the legendary Pokémon.

While Flames poured his everything in a single attack to blow his opposition away as fast as possible, Mewtwo remained calm and collected, his eyes watching Flames with a scary coldness. The pinky mutant raised his free hand, weaving his psychic powers on his surroundings. The same stones and wreckage Flames had melted began to twirl and merge into an ever-growing ball of infernal destruction. A pulse of transparent blue echoed from Mewtwo, hurling the massive ball forward.

Dodging something so big would be easy for Flames even in such hard ground, but doing so would mean that this gigantic ball of molten stones would hit square on the immovable Ethan standing behind him. So in order to avoid the worst possible outcome, Flames began to gather every inch of his strength onto his left arm, a bright red blaze exploded from his member, its glow overshadowing even the form of the Typhlosion's body. Exploding his empowered fist against the rolling ball of fiery death, Flames hit the thing with enough power to divert its direction to the side; a new line of destruction crossed against the violated island, leaving a burning scar racing from its right side.

Letting out a deafening roar, Flames didn't let his burning flames go to waste. As his left arm fell lifeless to the side, the obstinate Typhlosion charged forward with unparalleled ferocity. Even in all his calculative oversight, Mewtwo failed to anticipate any movements coming from its opponent, let alone an offensive move. Taken by surprise, Mewtwo had no time to float away before Flames landed by his side and grabbed his long tail with one arm. Flames trashed the legendary beast upwards and let go of the grip of his hand, instead his sharp fangs bit deeply on the dark-pink tail, forcing a powerful cry of pain to explode out of Mewtwo's mouth.

Swinging his head upwards to the right and then downwards to the left, Flames crashed Mewtwo against the ground. Then he raised his head once again doing the exact same move but in a mirrored direction. Rubbles exploded far high, echoes of the land erupted all around, as Mewtwo continued to be bashed from one side to another in an unstoppable rampage. Only after the ninth cycle of this attack, that Mewtwo managed to grasp his mind powers on the space around Flames and push the other Pokémon violently to the side, finally freeing himself from that painful experience.

From below the pile of rubbish that had felled on top of Proto, a ray of red exploded into the air. However, this is not a beam or a wave attack coming out from the bug Pokémon; instead, this is Proto himself, moving twice as fast as he was doing before. Putting an absurd amount of stress on his legs, the Scizor achieved a top speed far greater than his normal maximum. His reflected after-imaged spam from the right and to the left, moving so rapidly that Aegislash resorted to spin his body wildly in a frenzy trying to keep up against its opponent; blade high and ready to counter an attack for any side.

To the sword-Pokémon's surprise, nothing came from the sides he so fervently watched. Proto's after imaged came crashing down from above, and before anyone had the time-reaction to see his movements, his heavy metallic claws had already exploded downwards in a meteoric speed and power, instantly pressing Aegislash against the rough ground, even worse, forcing the Pokémon so hard down that his body created a crater below the water level.

Spinning in the air, Proto messy-landed in a spot a few paces ahead of Ethan. From the side, rocks flew upwards as Flames came out from his landing spot and walked next to his Pokémon partner. Both of them breathing heavily and feeling very weary after so little time in their battle. However not even one of them is willing to let their backs hit the ground just yet.

"Outstanding… Truly, outstanding." Said a genuinely impressed Josh. His scarlet eyes drifted to his trembling Mewtwo; bruised, beaten and hardly holding the weight of himself upwards. His gaze then quickly darted to the open ground where his powerful Aegislash was pressed upon, until now not even a sign of the sword-Pokémon coming out. Yet, despite how against his favor this battle is going; an entertained smile cracked his lips away from one another. "Not even a word from their master and they fight with such ferocity, with so much finesse and power. Sometimes I've doubted the tale of you besting Red, Ethan. However, witnessing your team right now, battling against you here at the end of everything… You truly are the best." As before, Josh's dark expression shifts and changes to one of pure bliss and pure pleasure, the side of his cheeks flaring up as his eyes flash with the evilest kill intent a person could ever muster. "It is now or never, Ethan! Put you all into this, command your servants properly, force their movements with your own hands and beat me before I unleash Giratina upon you!"

Ethan remained silent, his eyes hidden behind the shadow cast from his bangs falling from his forehead. Despite the clear provocation on Josh's part, Ethan remained steady and quiet, not even his fingers twitched at the slightest.

Proto eyed his trainer with certain anticipation, as he too felt the upper hand on this. If this man was crazy enough to goat Ethan to go even further and completely smash him on this battle, Proto was more than happy to oblige and destroy them.

Flames on the other hand, looked back at his friend with a concerned glint showing in his eyes. He knows Ethan best than almost anybody; they have been partners and companions for as long as Ethan has lived as a Pokémon trainer. The always mouthful, energetic and 'drama king' would never let an opportunity like this to slip, at least not the chance to give a super-smart come back at the provocation thrown at him.

The just once violent and loud battle came to a full halt, every living being on this island on the edge, waiting for any movements from Ethan, yet nothing came.

From the warm-hearted waters of the ocean, a soft breeze of wind blew forward, pushing dust into the air. Like a dulled glitter of dirt, this breeze grazed Ethan as a soft touch of caress; this much of a push was enough to topple his body backward and his head to unconsciously cock onto his shoulder. Like a lifeless piece of log, Ethan came crashing with his back against the ground, his messy raven hair just now moving away from his eyes and showing that he has long passed out from his own exhaustion.

A full-blown panic overflowed Flames and Proto. They completely disregarded their ongoing battle and dashed towards their trainer, to their friend. Proto getting hold of Ethan's head and resting it against the top of his left claw, while Flames kneeled next to his partner and growled loudly to get his attention, but Ethan's eyes remained closed. The only solace for both Pokémon is that the young's man chest is still rising and deflating, showing that he is breathing and alive.

"To think that our fated battle would end in such… disappointing terms." Josh commented with a mixture of surprise and disgust. "Destiny sure is cruel, denying me the chance to destroy you in equal terms. But as much as shall lament this moment forever moving forward… It all matters not." With all seriousness returning to his expression, Josh fiddled with his pockets and pulled out the Poké-Ball where the destroyer is being held. With a dark amusement flashing on his eyes, he pressed his hold on the Poké-Ball and moved his gaze onto the unconscious form of Ethan once again. "Ethan, you will die now. Together with this world you so bravely tried to protect. For there shall be no revolution without complete destruction."

The metallic tapping sound of a Poké-Ball bouncing on the ground echoed on. From the broken stones in front of Josh, the cursed thing parted open and from within an endless sea of darkness floated out, from within that Poké-Ball, Giratina was set loose yet again.

* * *

Swallowed by a gripping dullness of her senses, Zinnia felt her body be dragged back to reality by a violent jolt. Her lungs cried out painfully as her head jerked forward, her wide eyes barely acknowledging her surroundings in her erratic outburst.

"You're back." Silver's voice welcomed her, both his hands tightly gripping the sides of her arms with her back awkwardly resting against his chest.

At first, Zinnia eyed him with slight suspicion, quietly brushing his hands away from her and straightening herself up. Before she could ask what he was doing practically snuggling on her, she noticed that he has not moved an inch from where he was before, instead she is the one who has moved quite away from her previous spot.

"What happened?" She asked with a raspy voice. "That thing… where it go?" Her head went left and right, searching from the fallout of the battle against that monster, but only grey clouds graced her vision.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Silver replied with his gaze diverting downwards towards the far-away sea. "Something exploded, a blinding light took over everything, and then you passed away. I caught you as soon as you began to slide down on the dragon's back, then… Next thing I noticed we were flying up here."

"Brendan, I want to see him…" She crawled upwards on Rayquaza, the palm of her hands ever so slowly sliding up and dragging her forward. "Take us down!" She demanded. "We need to see it, we need to help him."

" **Back on your senses, Lorekeeper?"** The emerald dragon's voice boomed loudly, making the draconid girl stiffen and Silver to jolt surprised and most of all startled. **"It comforts me to know that I shall rely on you for the moment."**

"I can hear you…" Zinnia said a bit perplexed herself. "I thought only Brendan could help me understand your voice."

" **A guardian can serve as a beacon for our voice, but it is not the only way."** Rayquaza explained. **"If I will it, I can speak directly to the two of you here. But doing so puts a great toll on me."**

Behind the tanned girl, the red-haired boy seemed greatly distressed. "This is way too freaky. It is like some needles are pinching the inner walls of my head."

" **Endure the small pain, human. I would not direct my voice to you both if it was not needed."** Rayquaza's roar stormed across the sky like a thunderous drum. **"We have not the time nor the leisure to be diverting our efforts. I will dive down yet again to face a threat, which refrains to give up. I urge you to act as swiftly as possible; we are at the brink of losing another Guardian."**

"Losing another?!" Zinnia's dizziness shot out of her system like a cannonball. She gripped her bearings as best as she could, forcing herself up and jumping at the base of Rayquaza's head. "What happened? What the hell is happening down there? Brendan, where is he? I want to see him, I need to see him!"

" **Steel yourself, Lorekeeper. For the battle is yet to be over…"** For a rapid moment, the emerald dragon king considered the weight of his words, a strange act to him; to measure his words to address a mortal. Yet, be by his millennia of experiences or his own concept of sympathy; Rayquaza decided to let the words slip past his mouth. **"Failing now, would make Brendan's sacrifice be in vain."**

Zinnia's world fell in a spell of pure despair, she could not believe her ears, and she could not accept the meaning of those words. Her shoulders went soft as her mouth was left hanging agape without reaction; painful tears began to sting the side of her eyes. 'He is dead?' Her head waved wildly from side to side in pure rejection. "Go down! TAKE US DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Piercing words stormed out from her mouth, hurting the walls of her throat with their intensity.

Shifting in his soar, Rayquaza spared a momentary glance to his behind, if only to show that he suffers as well. However, his gesture is completely lost to the grieving girl. Shaking his head to maintain his own resolve, the emerald dragon let his voice explode in a powerful roar, for then to the tip of his head to dip down, dragging his massive serpentine dragon in a full-headed dive.

Silver, once again coming to aid the draconid girl, leaned in over and pressed his left arm against Zinnia's back. While she was not in any immediate danger of slipping out of the giant Pokémon, she is barely making any effort to secure a hold on him; her shock after learning of Brendan's fate is so grand that even the cutting edge of the harsh winds are passing unnoticed by her thoughts.

Traveling at such speed, the group hastily arrived on top of the devastated island. For a split second, Silver stopped to marvel at the fact of how high up they were flying; the young red-haired swears that he could see the glint of stars despite still being afternoon. But, quickly his thoughts got snatched to the pictured laid in front of them, or more precisely, below them.

Rayquaza had fled at great speed from the massive explosion that swallowed Sky Pillar, in so, neither of them got to experience the aftermath of the said explosion. Seeing what has become of not only the ancient structure but also the landmass itself, frightens not only the two young humans but manages to unsettle the legendary green beast. However, the worst part is something else.

A swirl of black, a whirlpool devoid of any light of life, is currently expanding above the broken ground. The same power, the same hatred from before is now emanating from that spot, as if Giratina was being reborn right in front of their eyes.

" **Red-haired boy!"** Rayquaza called out to Silver. **"Set your gaze to that pile of stones next to that pool of black."** He guided the boy's eyes and Silver instantly followed.

As the dragon spoke, two sets of elevated stones are standing out from the rest of the broken mess. One of them is resting awkwardly in a bent position, being held by the bruised body of Flames, while the other is pressing forcedly against Proto's claws. Both Pokémon resting on the ground with their eyes closed, but still acting in their part as they shielded and are still protecting Ethan's unconscious form with their own body.

"Ethan!" Silver gasped loudly in panic. He was more than ready to jump, despite their still dangerous height, but a harsh whiplash from Rayquaza's tail forced him to stay on top of the dragon's back.

" **Don't leap hastily to your death. Those stones would trash your body into pieces."** Rayquaza warned. **"I will fly close to the ground, and then you jump to save the Phoenix's errand boy."**

Hesitantly, Silver nodded in acceptance.

"Another actor steps onto the stage!" Josh's loaded words beckon them back to the battle, the raven-haired boy is standing behind the black mass with his back turned to it, his eyes set to the sky onto Rayquaza's flying visage. "Rayquaza, Emerald King of the Sky! You are an essential hurdle that it's needed to be removed, but…" He turned, pointed with one finger to the vortex of darkness behind him and shrugged. As he turned his gaze back to the sky, a small smile crept to the corner of his lips. "Would you be so kind as to wait for a little more? As you can see, Giratina has yet to recover from that small upset."

Ignoring the taunting fuzz of that annoying human, Rayquaza swoop down across the island, letting his body soar at a slower pace just until Silver jumped down in a smoothed part of the island. Right then, the dragon raised his speed and raised his height once again. Opening his mouth and bobbing his head backward, Rayquaza glared angrily toward that mess of darkness, completely ignoring the boy standing next to it; He fired a powerful beam of pure light, energy crackling from his body as that wave flew faster than sound and clashed onto its mark.

The attack stroke true, an impossibly loud noise erupted from the point of impact as lightning jolts spread everywhere and pieces of dark matter oozed to the ground as if it was spilled from a filled up fountain. However, after the initial violent start of Rayquaza's beam, said ferocity quickly faded, the light, the wind, even the pressure created by it was swallowed by the ever-enlarging vortex. Soon, only darkness remained in that pool, its state going quiet and losing that spiraling movement to it. It was then that a muffled growl echoed from within, and two pairs of red eyes flashed from the middle of it.

Still and provoking, those red dots of pure malice, stared up to the dragon in a complete calm; its gaze seemly taunting Rayquaza to do it again, to unleash an even greater attack. The sky sovereign is many things in his powerful existence, but patience is not one of his many traits, especially towards such defiant provocation. Giving in to the dark devourer's mocking leer, Rayquaza powered himself to its current highest power and unleashed everything against that evil pile of goo.

Once more, despite the incredible show light and quakes shaking the land, that gigantic wave of energy had little effect other than enlargement of the size of that hungering void. This time, however, Rayquaza's assault did not pass without retaliation. Every little spark of light, which has been swallowed by Giratina's liquefied form, suddenly came flying out from the ground, spreading in thin multiples beams, all without a specific aim and with a portion of the power of Rayquaza's own ability. Soon, the sky found itself torn apart by thousands of energy-needles.

Utilizing his amazing speed and reaction time, Rayquaza avoid nearly every small beam fired at him, with the occasional hit grazing and even managing to pierce his hardened scales. Completely engaged in a battle against a foe that hasn't even a physical form yet, the emerald dragon dances around the sky with the grace and competence that only himself possesses.

* * *

Meanwhile, a bystander to the god-like battle happening around him, Silver rushed in wavering steps towards his fallen partner. Finally reaching where Ethan is lying unconscious, the-red haired began to pull and push the broken stones away, his heart beating unevenly with his anticipation, the growing fear inside of his chest.

"Come on, Ethan. You can't do this… Not after everything you said, after being so confident and untouched by your brave silliness."

Silver continued to dig and push until he had freed Proto and Flames from their earthen-imprisonment. Taking care to pull both Pokémon from top of their trainer, Silver dragged Proto and Flames to the side, getting for the first time a proper view of Ethan's bruised body and dirtied face.

"Wake up…" His voice first came out like a light whisper, he somehow felt afraid of raising his voice and not getting any response. Taking one hand to the back of the raven-haired boy's head and using the other to wipe the dirt spots from his cheeks, Silver pulled Ethan closer and tried to wake him up again, this time giving a light tap with his fingers against the boy's cheek. "Ethan, open your eyes and show me that smug smirk you always has."

Once more Silver's plea had no response. His heart quickly sunk into a dark place, feeling his chest with a cold piercing feeling of pure despair. Yet, even as his mind had started to panic and his senses becoming an entire mess, the pale young trainer refused to give up; His free hand traveled back to his lover's face, carefully caressing the corner of his lips.

"Please… open your eyes." He pleaded, no, begged, one more time. His eyes trembled with the soft sting itching away as a warm and wet line slid down to his cheeks. As two droplets of tears fell on the razed ground, Silver's desperation was starting to scale further beyond.

Then a subtle stir came from Ethan's body, soon followed by a low growl. His closed eyes twitched ever so slightly, as he growled a bit louder, his arms began to move and his head turned to acknowledge Silver's presence.

As Ethan's eyelids slowly opened up, revealing his grey tired eyes, a full-blow smile appeared on Silver's face. Seeing the red-haired give out such a genuine smile and even better, such a beautiful smile direct only at him, took Ethan completely by surprise as his vision settled at the other boy's expression. He chuckled and waved his head weakly.

"Did I die?" He asked faintly, making Silver look at him with a slightly confused look and raised brows; something that made Ethan smile brightly and then continue. "Because there is a pretty angel holding me right now."

Staring at the chuckling clown on his arms, Silver couldn't even respond to that at first. In any other moment he would have face-palmed so hard that his hand would have pierced through the other side of his head. However, at this moment, he just shook his head and chuckled quietly. "Even in a moment like this, you still say stupid things." Surprising not only Ethan but also himself, the pale red-haired leaned in closer and placed a small peck on those bruised lips. Counting the recent turns of events in their 'relationship', Silver is turning out to be the more 'aggressive' partner and the one initiating most of their 'oh so rare' kisses.

Ethan had to hold in a burst of small laughter as Silver pulled himself back, his face more pinkish than pale white because of his burning cheeks. Choosing not to upset the already difficult to please boy, the young champion instead focused on a more pressing and urgent matter that just now flashed back to his thoughts.

"That, guys… where is he?" Taking a bit more control of his own body, he pushed his upper part out of the ground, finding support on his elbows. "Giratina?" He asked, turning to face Silver.

Losing his blush, the red-haired looked behind him, motioning to the expanding vortex of darkness and the grinning person standing next to it. "We need to get away from here." He urged in a pleading tone, trying to help Ethan to get in his feet. "That girl, Zinnia, and Rayquaza are fighting the thing; we will be caught in their battle."

"No!" Ethan rebuked harshly, a bit more harshly than he intended. Pulling himself free of Silver's grasp, he almost went down again, but steadied himself to keep a fixated gaze at the ensuing battle. "I have to stay here. Even if a little bit, I need to help."

"Looking like this?" Silver raised his own voice, pointing out to the fact that his partner can hardly stand up, even less help in a battle of such magnitude. But his heated words only earned him an even more heated glare from his lover, that flicker of gold returning to those grey eyes. The red-haired sighed, by this point he knows what a lost battle it is to argue against Ethan when he is like that. "Why don't you use Lugia to help, instead? It will be a lot safer and helpful if he was the one doing it."

"Lugia has exhausted himself to weaken Giratina before." Ethan began to explain. "It took a lot out of both of us to drag that monster down to a point where he was vulnerable… We can't count on Lugia now."

"Then what the hell are you going to do there?" Silver lashed out. "Stop this, Ethan. I know that you don't run away from a fight, that nothing frightens you. But this is ridiculous; you're only putting yourself in danger."

"I HAVE TO DO THIS!" Ethan shouted with newfound energy, which quickly faded out from his system. "Brendan… He did what I was supposed to do. And he paid the price for that." Looking back at Silver with a pitiful look in his face, a broken mess of himself, Ethan shook his head. "I have to see this through to the end, Silver… I need to, for him."

Silver bit his lower lip, feeling a bit dejected and somewhat ashamed of his own weakness. His gaze traveled downwards to the side for a moment, himself steeling his mind and his heart to what he needed to do, and so he did. His gaze jolted back to Ethan with a new confident light within them. "Then, WE will see this through the end."

Ethan's face melted in a thankful smile, his eyes softening up as he raised both hands towards Silver, asking for help to get up. Letting himself be pulled up to his feet, the raven-haired trainer smiled and nudged his arm closer against Silver's. "Thank you for understanding."

"We are a team… I guess I am stuck with you until the end." Silver replied with a stoic tone but with a tingle of playfulness to it.

"I guess you are."

* * *

With the cold patience of a trained killer, Josh simply watched as Rayquaza continued to dodge the continuous streams erupting out from Giratina's puddle. He as more than content to just observe as the emerald dragon was tiring himself out in a useless struggle while Giratina is getting more and more powerful as his corporal form takes shape yet again. However, it took a little more than a glance to the girl tightly holding onto the dragon's back to make a dark thought rise and fester inside Josh's twisted mind, a dark grin spreading over his lips.

"Let me congratulate you, Dragon King. Your guardian was something special, something more than even I care to admit." The young trainer began to address Rayquaza with his condescending tone, while aiming his every intention towards the dark-skinned woman at the dragon's back. "Imagine my shock to see Brendan taking down Giratina, oh, and not only our brave hero did the impossible, but he also bested the beast having only Groudon at his side… truly impressive."

"Why won't you shut your trap?!" Zinnia enraged voice echoed from above. She jiggled in her hold around Rayquaza's back to get a clear view of that annoying person.

"Lorekeeper Zinnia, that isn't a very polite thing to say." He mocked her with a waving finger. "I expected you of all people to be interested to know where Brendan is. Was I wrong?"

" **Don't listen to him, girl."** Rayquaza warned. **"His words are full of venom and his only intention is to drive you off the edge."**

Biting her lips in utter frustration, feeling powerless and confused; she shook her head, pressing her cheeks against the cold scales of the green dragon. Everything is such a mess inside her mind, one moment ago, Brendan was standing by her side, and now he is simply gone. 'Where is he...?' She first asked with an echo inside her thoughts, but as her eyes diverted back to that vile person her question stormed out from her lips. "Where is Brendan? What have you done with him?"

The man raised both hands in front of him, opening them in a full spread to show absolutely nothing on his palms. "He is gone, of course." He said with a dark but content tone. "Severed from this world by the same weapon he used to strike down the monster in front of him."

If Zinnia was shaken before, right now her resolve shattered in a million pieces. Tiny bits of her life flashed in front of her eyes, how adventures she has always been, how detached from most things apart from her duty her mind always felt. Then subtle changes began to form around the edges as soon as she met that spirited boy, a young soul so brave and determined that inspired her to seek her own path in life separated from her duty as a Lorekeeper. She learned to respect him, to understand a bit more about life because of him, she began to love him... now he was taken away from her.

Quiet sobs sounded out from her, her heart feeling barren of any joy as if the flames of happiness has been snatched away from her together with Brendan. "It's not true…" She immersed herself onto Giratina's warmth, losing control over her grief, which translated to two streams of tears gliding down her cheeks.

"Heh… Haha… To think that his brave sacrifice would allow me to capture Giratina and reign over the beast without anything left capable of stopping it." Thunderous laughter stormed out from the boy, one hand reaching to his forehead as his back ached and he laughed away towards the sky. "I delight in the irony."

"Don't count on your victory yet, loud-mouth." Ethan's words rebuked him, despite how low and weakened his voice sounded, his timely comeback managed to wipe away the almost lunatic smirk of Josh's face. "You may fantasize about Guardians and their role, but you're not one us. And as the present member of my group of freaks, let me educate you on something important. A true guardian is not someone filled with power or someone capable of controlling Pokémon, as you may have thought. Our virtue is the wish to protect and keep safe those who cannot stand up for themselves."

A disgusted scoff was the evil trainer's response, his eyes lazily dangling on Ethan's form. "Your point?" He said annoyed. "The broken man incapable of standing up for himself, is berating me on my vision? Say Ethan, now that you can't stand up against the tides of change washing over you, who will save you?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Ethan replied with a sheepish grin, something that deeply infuriated the other man. "Right here there are still people willing to stand up and face you. We are not born Guardians, slowpoke."

' **The Phoenix boy speaks the truth.'** Rayquaza's words echoed inside Zinnia's mind, for the first time he transferred his thoughts exclusively to her. **'When the world needed him, Brendan answered my call and rose to the role. Nigh is the time of your own choice, Lorekeeper. You received from him a safe keep didn't you? Something precious and powerful, which Brendan trusted only to you, something that you yourself once gave to him.'**

Reaching out to her like a siren's call, a pull drove Zinnia's attention and every thought to the shining light sparkling inside her pocket. She reached inside with one hand, feeling the warm sensation graze her fingers and finally wash over her entire body as she grasped the tiny stone.

' **I demanded everything and even more from Brendan, in hopes that the world would survive.'** Rayquaza began speaking again, his voice carrying a pang of profound guilt on them. **'Now I ask of you, Zinnia. Accept your own fate as my next Guardian and protect the world Brendan gave his life for.'**

Furious, saddened, confused. Zinnia is overwhelmed by her own emotions, after hearing Rayquaza admit his own fault at Brendan's fate, the young woman wanted nothing more than to lash out at him. However, each other word ringed truthfully inside of her being. Brendan did what he did for her, for them.

Closing her eyes, taking everything in. Zinnia wrapped her fingers tightly onto that stone, bringing it closer to her chest and feeling its power filling her up, connecting her as an individual together with Rayquaza's own essence. Like an explosion of thoughts and emotion, Zinnia felt her own past self be washed away by everything new that she had just become. With a single cycle of her breathing she could feel Hoenn in its entirety, the land alive and breathing together with her. She opened up her eyes to see more than the darkened sky surrounding her, she saw the little Pokémon running away on the mainland, the aquatic lives cowering in fear over that monstrosity threatening everything.

It is like she had merged not only with Rayquaza but with that side of the planet as well.

'Brendan, you felt like this every day?' She mused to herself. Seeing Brendan so calm and collect most of the times, always poised and concentrated on the people around him. It amazed her would he could do all that while something as powerful as this was ever so present to him every time.

Mesmerized in her own thoughts, Zinnia completely ignored the growing light surrounding and engulfing herself and Rayquaza. The light soon transformed into a swirling dome of pure light, expanding like a gentle turmoil. This calm however, lasted only for a while; as from its sides two ley lines of yellow color swirled wildly in the air, a bulkier tail colored in emerald green and black violently swoop from behind. Soon Rayquaza's most powerful form exploded from there, flying impossible faster than before with the only clue to his path being the massive cracks of lightning left in his trail.

The bystanders below on the island could only see the crackling lines guiding inside the massive dark clouds that now completely fills the sky. At each swing of direction the dragon king takes, the entire sky lights up with a tempest, revealing only his menacing silhouette from behind the grey clouds.

Ever the defiant person, Josh just grinned as he watched the display of pure power coming from the other side. Giving a slight shaking with his head, he chuckled. "Impressive, emerald fiend. Yet, your every struggle is futile in the face of-"

His world, everyone's world, turned into a blur of white and yellow. His hearing senses completely shut off for a long moment, leaving him lost and dazed as to what the hell just happened in front of him. Only when his vision cleared up a tiny bit from its cloudy blur that he could witness the gaping hole staring at him from the ground. Taking his eyes up, with an infernal ringing noise stirring the inside of his head, he saw an identical hole scaring the sky. That menacing vortex of lazy swirling darkness was nowhere to be seen, in its place is left only that massive crater that for just a few steps of distance didn't swallow Josh as well.

A terrifying screech erupted from the hole, a cry of pain and a cry of fear. Giratina's voice stormed out for the first time not as a tyrannical menace but as a helpless creature suffering from the horrible pain. This terrible noise continued to linger, as the Pokémon struggled below the earth, trashing and yelling in complete desperation.

"Impossible…" Josh said, stunned by the events unfolding in front of him. "Giratina's power in unparalleled, he is the bane of worlds, he is-"

Once more, the invasion of white and yellow clashed down from the sky. This time it was more recognizable as a massive beam of lightning unleashed by the Rayquaza up in the air. Everything trembled at the clash of this attack at the already open hole at the ground. Giratina's voice became almost unbearable to hear, the creature is clearly in pain, in more pain than it has ever suffered in its entire existence.

Feeling his own heart shake in full despair, Josh shot his gaze everywhere, searching for a way, any way. Then his eyes landed on both of his unconscious Pokémon, and a sadistic smile crossed his lips. "I… will not… let you ruin this!" He snarled in between his struggles to drag Mewtwo and Aegislash across the demolished island. "The devourer… will rise again, even if I have to feed him myself." Without batting an eye to the monstrosity of his action, the young crazed man hurled both Pokémon inside the hole and waited with a dark gleam in his eyes. "Consume them and get back to your feet."

As soon as those two got abandoned inside that blasted hole, Giratina's tormented voice stopped. An eerie sensation began to flow out from that crater, a chilling fog oozing out to the surface. From within that confined space, the terrible creature arose yet again. His body slowly settling in its physical form, the small pieces of him still in a dark gooey from are wrapping the bodies of Mewtwo and Aegislash, sucking them in until both disappeared inside of him.

The grey dragon has his gaze totally focused on Rayquaza, his red eyes twitching in pure anger. If this monster was angry before, now he is completely irate and ready to unleash his vengeance upon everything.

"Hear me, oh bringer of chaos. I shall serve as your beacon to this world, as your darkness. But you will serve as my unstoppable weapon." Josh called out to the giant Pokémon, which simply ignored him. "HAVE YOU HEARD ME?"

If Giratina has heard his voice, the dragon made no gesture to symbolize it. He is too immersed and lost within an evil spiral of raging thoughts. At the first moment, Giratina tried to squish his own body down into a cylindrical form, his dark wings twisting and cracking with a painful sound. But despite his every struggle, the Pokémon could not change his body to whatever he was trying to do, this frustration only fulling his anger even further.

Opening his mouth and trashing his head backward, Giratina expanded both wings that cracked loudly back in place. From behind him, a gigantic curtain of darkness took form, this strange phenomenon growing as far as the sky existed, covering half of the island in total darkness yet again.

As from before, countless claws and tendril flew from this expanding darkness, each member flying at incredible speed towards Rayquaza, each creeping darkness hungering for blood and death.

Before, Rayquaza had to dodge and nearly be surrounded by the stream of hands reaching out to him. This time, the powerful king stood completely still. He allowed Giratina to touch, slash and grab with as many tendrils and claws as he wanted, just to prove and show his real power. When the entire lower side of his body had been overtaken by raging darkness, Rayquaza roared in his mighty voice, his body crackling with lightning, banishing anything hostile, that was touching him to nothingness.

To further show his growth in power, Rayquaza took aim at the towering blanket of shadows behind Giratina and unleashed one of his powerful beams of light. A massive hole was torn at the surface of that thing, but that was only the beginning. Crackling remnants of energy spread all over its entirety, totally collapsing the curtain made by Giratina, piece by piece.

Madly flailing in rage, Giratina unleashed a beam of his own. His wave of energy a mirrored opposite of the one coming from Rayquaza; pure ravenous darkness sipping away every bit of warm in its path. The destroyer's challenge though was met with a proper response.

Rayquaza, letting his power flow from his entire body, created a sparkling ball of white and yellow in front of his mouth, at the tip of his green 'tusks'. Dwarfing Giratina's attempt of a powerful roar, Rayquaza's voice overwhelmed the entire world as he unleashed his most deadly attack without a shred of mercy. Both beams clashed against each other, at first standing in an equal match, but only for a moment as Rayquaza's power proved to be far too much for the grey dragon to handle.

Giratina could only watch as that pillar of unbelievable power crashed on top of him. He felt his body be squished onto the earth, the same unbearable pain from before coming back, now ten times worse. As the Sky King's light faded away, it revealed Giratina's beaten and deformed body on the ground, the creature doing everything in its power to get himself back together and after some excruciating screeches of pain, he finally stood whole again.

Once in his heavy feet again, Giratina tried to squish himself again, his wings cracking and trembling desperately trying to change into something different, but failing altogether. The giant grey dragon cried out desperately toward the sky, trashing the ground beneath him in a fit of anger.

"What are you doing?!" Josh yelled out angrily, seeing the unbeatable Pokémon be handled so easily, left the young trainer in a truly desperate daze. 'Why does he keep hurting himself? What is the point of squishing his body like that? Is he trying to kill himself or is he…' A look of realization washed over his preoccupied face. Leaving behind any reservation or any consideration for his own safety, he dashed onwards the furious monster. Avoiding Giratina's stomping feet, Josh latched himself onto the dragon's body and began to climb it until he reached the top of its head. "Giratina, listen to me!" He shouted as loud as he could, barely managing to get the creature's attention. "I told you, I will be your beacon, your anchor… your Darkness. For my ambitions I will accept even the void, now reach out to me, as that dragon did with the girl. I am a Guardian, I can unleash your true potential."

Studying the man above him with an attentive silence, Giratina stopped his irrational behavior to consider those words.

" **I am the bringer of nothingness, pathetic creature."** His voice erupted from within him, carrying as much cold and evil as his own body does. **"Destruction of everything is my destiny."**

"And mine is to bring forward said destruction." The boy replied with a dark grin. "However, you will achieve nothing if that dragon destroys you, neither will I. So swallow your pride and accept what you need from me."

One more time, Giratina found himself stuck in a surprised reaction. This human not only didn't fear him but desired the same thing as him. A twisted amusement crossed his mind for a moment, to think that this side of reality would still harbor a being similar to him. Maybe it is destiny itself trying to make amends to him or just an inevitable turn from fate. Either way, Giratina consented in a silent nod.

Josh felt his footing disappear as his body began to sink inside Giratina's body. The boy breathed harshly, his nerves almost exploding with anticipation and terror; he waited to be consumed entirely just like Mewtwo and Aegislash have been just moments before. To his surprise, the dreading sensation disappeared when half of his body had disappeared inside that grey body, the other half getting settled in a firm hold, locking both in a symbiotic existence.

The shift in Giratina's senses was immediate. The boy attached to him felt like a disjointed bone that has sprung out of his body and at the same time a source of stability, a point of control like he has never felt before. No, he has felt it, but only inside his prison, inside that deplorable place. Sinking in the amazing sensation of finally being free of his last cage, Giratina effortlessly commanded his body to change.

His wings cracked loudly, snapping out in long six tendrils of darkness on his back. His legs got squished and swallowed back inside his body, leaving out only sharp spikes in their places; right then his bulky shape began to thin into a more serpentine shape, with the last change coming as the golden plates of his face moved in and formed resilient guard covering his mouth.

" **Free at last…"**

"Free at last…"

Two voices came out in complete unison, one from the grey dragon and the other from the boy merged with him.

" **To spread my wings over this plane, to watch over your expired existence with my true eyes. Unspeakable satisfaction."**

"To spread my wings over this plane, to watch over your expired existence with my true eyes. Unspeakable satisfaction."

"Are you that out of touch?!" Zinnia's enraged voice sounded off from above, as Rayquaza descended on them. "Why do you keep doing that ridiculous stuff? What is so messed up with you that you will keep bringing that monster back?" Her once red eyes now overtaken by a powerful green glow, stares at the monstrous creature in front of her with total disgust.

" **A vermin's place is not to ask questions. A vermin's destiny is to die, as you soon shall learn."**

"A vermin's place is not to ask questions. A vermin's destiny is to die, as you soon shall learn."

A dark veil exploded from Giratina's body, this thin layer of shadows run past everything and everyone, setting itself around them in a circular manner and soon erecting the same dome of darkness as before, but this time much bigger and much more powerful.

" **You! Critter of the skies, you have also been chosen by fate over me. Doted and cuddled by the graces of good fortune while I suffered in that hell…"**

"You! Critter of the skies, you have also been chosen by fate over me. Doted and cuddled by the graces of good fortune while I suffered in that hell…"

" **I shall endure you as an interloper no longer. As a testimony against creation itself, you will be the first one to DIE!"**

"I shall endure you as an interloper no longer. As a testimony against creation itself, you will be the first one to DIE!"

Reaction to its master's voice, the circling darkness trembled furiously in its entirety. The dome that was once a still round wall around them, began to spin around in a ridiculously fast speed. From the running walls, a bloated belly of mass appeared and began to push itself forward. As the 'bubble' of darkened mass exploded, a titanic claw flew forward, slashing with its merciless ferocity at Rayquaza.

Swooping down close to the sea, Rayquaza dodge the massive shadow's strike, but only by a small margin. Those sharp terrible things lashed out at the ocean, ripping a massive chunk of land from below the water, and then hurling the thing at Rayquaza, who masterfully dodged again.

Using the tiniest window of reprise possible for an attack, Rayquaza flew below the floating grey dragon and unleashed one of his powerful beams. However, as fast as that crackling lightning flew, it passed by nothing as Giratina simply disappeared into thin air, just to reappear far away, slithering out of the liquid shadows on those dark walls.

' **That can't be possible…'** Rayquaza let that comment slide into his connection with Zinnia without even realizing it.

"What we do now?" Zinnia asked, her heart skipped a bit after sensing the dragon's fearful reaction.

" **Don't panic yet, Zinnia. The creature is avoiding my attacks for a good reason, even in its all-powerful form; he would not survive much longer after getting hit so often."** Soothing her worries and trying to calm down his own racing mind, Rayquaza reasoned with what was presented in front of him. **"Considering his much slender form, Giratina would probably be more susceptible to damage now than before."**

"Then we can win?" She asked full of hope yet again.

" **If Brendan managed to do it with Groudon, We can manage too."** Rayquaza said in a rather playful tone, a little surprise to her considering his always-scary façade.

"GROUDON!"Zinnia almost jumped out of Rayquaza in her sudden reaction. "Where is he, if we could awaken him somehow, he could help deal with that thing."

" **Brendan was the Guardian responsible for him, their bond was stronger than his with me."** Rayquaza said softly. **"If someone can feel his presence. That would be you. Brendan's successor."**

Following the suggestion, Zinnia closed her eyes and tried to feel Groudon somehow. She reached everywhere through her connection with Rayquaza, she could feel every single life around her, even Silver and Ethan sitting behind some protections in the desolated island, but not a trace of Groudon.

"I... can't!" She exclaimed warily. "I can feel everything around us, but Groudon is nowhere to be found."

" **Groudon's life force is much larger than a normal one; maybe this is too much for you at the moment."** Rayquaza concluded sadly. **"Or maybe he has perished together with-"** At this moment, his heart has frozen in a stilled fear.

Not only Rayquaza, but also Zinnia felt her body get sucked of any warm. Together they felt an immense rage, a destructive hatred that was threatening to swallow everything in this world. In a perfect motion, they glanced over to Giratina's moving form, only to find out he was not the source of this explosive emotion.

Fighting his own increasing fear, Rayquaza moved his head from side to side, in a fruitless search of this second threat. Not even the destroyer himself had managed to stir such a terror inside the emerald dragon's core. But lost in this emotion and this newfound calamity, Rayquaza failed to see the towering shadow looming over him.

From the ceiling of the dome, a truly gargantuan claw flew down, taking Rayquaza by surprise. This giant shadowy member bashed the dragon in full force, sending him flying in just a glimpse into the sea.

Giratina rejoiced with a dark gleam on his eyes, after so long he has finally managed to hit that pesky dragon one time. But that was not enough, not to kill Rayquaza and not enough to quell the burning rage of the grey dragon. So, he commanded two massive dark tendrils to erupt from the walls and dive down onto the sea. They soon sprung into the air, bashing the emerald dragon into the air, however the girl was not at his back anymore.

" **You will learn your place!"**

"You will learn your place!"

Giratina'sand Josh's voices stormed out angrily, as three more dark members sprung from the dome's walls. They bashed the dragon from the side, whipped at him from bellow and slashed at him from above; at each hit Giratina felt a jolt of pleasure watch over him, perhaps the human at his back had started to influence his own emotions. In the end, he did not care; instead, he was basking in this amazing sensation of conquering this insect who dared stand in his way.

Not willing to take this beating without retaliation, Rayquaza spun around wildly and dove down very close to the water. He soared above the sea, flying until close enough to not give Giratina even a moment to blink. Letting his power overflow over him again, Rayquaza made another ball of pure energy in front of him and pointed it at Giratina, unleashing that absurd pillar of light toward the grey dragon.

This time however, Giratina remained in place. As to mock Rayquaza by doing the same thing the emerald dragon did before. The destroyer waited until the beam almost reached him, but a river of pure darkness overflowed from the dome, getting in the way of Rayquaza's attack and Giratina. But this barrier didn't simply tackle and stopped the lighting, it began to devour the attack the same way Giratina had done before Rayquaza had changed to his mega evolution. As the entire pillar of light got swallowed whole, the stream of darkness vanished back to its source.

Right then, the top of the dome, right at its middle, got painted with white and yellow color. Took just a moment for that tint of a different color to burst and unleash on Rayquaza the full power of his own attack.

After so many attacks, after losing his direct connection with Zinnia. Rayquaza felt the peak of his power slip from him, depowering back to his original form. Tired and lacking the energy, Rayquaza could not evade the incoming blast, and so he took the entire thing head-on and got pushed forcibly all the way to the bottom of the sea.

" **Your king has fallen!"**

"Your king has fallen!"

Strange fused laughter echoed inside the dark arena, Josh little by little gaining more and more persuasion over Giratina's own words and reactions.

" **This marks the start of the end. I've proven that I am the strongest!"**

"This marks the start of the end. I've proven that I am the strongest!"

" **Ethan!"**

"Ethan!"

" **Can you see me? Have you witness the complete failure of your answer and the blossoming success of my aspirations?"**

"Can you see me? Have you witness the complete failure of your answer and the blossoming success of my aspirations?"

" **Come forward, Guardian! Show me your undying courage! Stand fast against the face of destruction and let me see your face as I remove you from this world."**

"Come forward, Guardian! Show me your undying courage! Stand fast against the face of destruction and let me see your face as I remove you from this world."

For more than three minutes, Giratina or more correctly, Josh; waited for any response, any sign of resistance.

" **Deafening silence is your answer?! Hah, who would have guessed that in the end, you would turn out to be a simple coward."**

"Deafening silence is your answer?! Hah, who would have guessed that in the end, you would turn out to be a simple coward."

Giratina raised his six tendrils at his back, taking full control of the dome around him. The dragon began to command the spinning vortex to spin faster and faster, the thing getting smaller at each round and crushing anything that is close to the walls.

" **I present my gift to you, existence… OBLIVION!"**

"I present my gift to you, existence… OBLIVION!"

Feeling himself in cloud nine, both dragon and human gave the last push to unleash destruction. He would first squish this entire area into nothing with his dome and then expand this darkness everywhere else on the planet. A twisted smile of joy spread over Josh's human lips, his 'dream' has finally become a reality.

His daydream however came to a rude halt when he felt a massive pressure change happened around them. The spinning darkness around them simply stopped moving, it desperately tried to continue in its destructive rotation, but it could not. Right then, the walls on the left side turned dark blue as heavy crystals of ice began to grow and froze everything up to the very top; form the left a burning flame of unbearable heat came to life, it started to consume and burn every ounce of darkness it came in contact with.

Fire and Ice, the duality of elements took over the dome; destroying and consuming the entire thing until suddenly the unnatural structure began to rotate yet again, this time no shadows, no tendrils. Only scorching flames and freezing waters.

* * *

"Deafening silence is your answer?! Hah, who would have guessed that in the end, you would turn out to be a simple coward."

Ethan was never someone to let his emotions be controlled by provocations, let alone such a poor attempt at rattling him up. But being called a coward by that person, right here, right after losing his friend; it made his blood boil.

"Don't." Silver whispered at his side, the red-haired has one arm wrapped around his partner's neck, practically strangling the boy to keep him in place. "You're smarter than this, Ethan. He is taunting you to get you out there, don't play his little game."

Of course, he knows that this is a trap; anyone with a working brain would have noticed that. Yet nothing of that matters to Ethan. He trashed around in Silvers grasp, trying so desperately to get free, to march right over to that tall wall collapsed in front of them, and yell at that lunatic.

Only when the soft groans of an unconscious Zinnia quietly sounded off from behind him, that Ethan got back to his senses. He took a glance to his side, to where Silver is lying with his body all crumped up in an attempt to hold Ethan in place while still holding to Zinnia's body, the draconid girl dripping wet after being rescued from the ocean.

"Please, don't do anything stupid." Silver pleaded, looking to his lover with the most desperate gaze he has ever mustered. "I cannot lose you again, that would be too much."

" **I present my gift to you, existence… OBLIVION!"**

Ethan jerked his head to the side again, getting a small glimpse at the monstrosity floating above the island. He lowered his head in a pensive manner, one hand sliding over to his Poké-Balls in his pockets and the other reaching over to Silver's hand resting at his chest.

"Silver… I know that this is an awkward place to have this conversation, but…" Either be by his exhaustion or the eerie sense of doom looming over their heads, at any rate, Ethan felt his feelings a bit looser, especially towards the grumpy trainer at his side. "I want to spend more time with you, after… this."

A bit baffled by the sudden confession, Silver eyed Ethan softly. "That would be…" A loose smile spread over his lips. "Annoying." He said semi-seriously and right after chuckled. "You are quite loud; I like my surroundings a bit quieter. It would take some time to get used to your antics."

"You changed quite a lot for me, I would say. I'm willing to do the same for you, but just a little." He turned to face Silver properly and gave him a small wink. Picking Silver's hand up, pulling it away from his neck, and moving it in front of him; Ethan took it closer to his lips, giving the outer side of Silver's hand a soft kiss.

"Ethan?" Silver asked a bit worried, knowing that his brazen lover was being way too quiet and stranger than normal.

"Sorry, Silver. I would never let him kill you or her." Ethan pushed Silver's hand away, softly enough to not upset the red-haired. "Even if both of my legs were broken, I would still stand up against evil. Because that is who I am."

As soon as Ethan wobbly stood to his feet, Silver went in full panic mode. He almost threw himself at his lover's leg to stop him from going out there and get himself killed. However, as the raven-haired trainer turned on his heels to walk out of their hiding spot and face that maniacal threat, an explosive fire erupted from the side, catching both of them by surprise.

Stunned over the fantastical display of lights, Ethan watched as the spinning wall of shadows got destroyed by an even wilder proposition, a burning wall of fire. He glanced at the other side, just to the see a freezing torrent of waters taking over, completely dismantling Giratina's ploy to crush everything with his shadows.

A bright smile blossomed to life on Ethan's lips. He continued to watch in marvel as fire and ice took control of everything. A scene that was once a hellish picture without hope, quickly turned into the most awe-inspiring vision he has ever seen.

"About time you show up." Ethan said with a low chuckle, his legs losing their strength, forcing him to hit his rear on the ground as he quickly lost his balance. "Go get them, buddy."

* * *

**Xenoblade Chronicles OST - Unfinished Battle ==== ( watch?v=QeW_ycTXtVY )**

* * *

Giratina twisted his head from one side to the other, a growling irritation emanating from him. His human counterpart at his back however, is more than amused and entertained by this sudden surprise.

" **I have wondered for quite some time."**

"I have wondered for quite some time."

" **What choice would you take? What path would your chaotic little feet carry you through?"**

"What choice would you take? What path would your chaotic little feet carry you through?"

" **Alas, it seems that your destiny was to be my final step. One last enemy before the complete victory."**

"Alas, it seems that your destiny was to be my final step. One last enemy before the complete victory."

" **The fate of the world now rests in the result of the conflict between two monsters. Isn't that funny, Deoxys?"**

"The fate of the world now rests in the result of the conflict between two monsters. Isn't that funny, Deoxys?"

Not a single word was spoken in response to Josh/Giratina's entire tirade. Instead, a stream of roars just exploded from everywhere, it was like a choir was standing behind those curtains of ice and fire. From the infernal side of the spiral, two magma filled red eyes peeked out onto the open arena; and from the opposite side a pair of deep yellow gems deeply glared at Giratina. The most strange part about this phenomenon is that the entire dome continued spinning in its unrelenting force, yet fire never invaded onto the icy-waters and the opposite was true as well. Both primal, terrifying eyes, stood there in a motionless way, like sturdy stone pushing against the powerful current.

" **Not even a single word back?"**

"Not even a single word back?"

They both chuckled, chuckled. Giratina's voice surprisingly enough losing to Josh's in the manner of creepiness.

" **So be it, then. Let our might, SPEAK FOR US!"**

"So be it, then. Let our might, SPEAK FOR US!"

As Giratina roared loudly, spreading his needle-like wings. Thousands of dark shadows just burst out from his side, these threads going in a curly line towards each side of the dome and quickly working on 'corrupting' these bright colors in an attempt to arrest control back.

From the frozen vertical moving lake, Kyogre's massive form came flying in like a fast torpedo. The sapphire primal flew right past Giratina, who cut loose his control to his threads and flew upwards to avoid the deadly impact. Without nothing to stop his advance, Kyogre went straight inside the firewall, then the most magical thing happened. Fire and Ice switched sides almost instantly.

Again, two sets of eyes appeared at each side, position switched the same as their elements.

A small growl of frustration escaped Giratina's body, the grey dragon is already tired of these games after so much fighting. Despite the human meddling in his physic, Giratina wants to end this, and he wants to end it now.

The dark creature curled into a ball, his scales started to chime an eerie tune. Black sparkles flew from the spikes at his side, these sparkles not fading away but simply amassing themselves into a pure mass of their own. This mass of darkness began to grow, grow and grow. Its size quickly doubling the one of Giratina's, getting so big that its upper tip touched the ceiling of the fire/iced cage.

Giratina soon sprung his body back into its slithering form, the gigantic ball looming above the dragon's head. The destroyer's terrible screech announced the prelude of his attack, the round surface of that darkened orb shifted and turned, sharp giant spikes appeared at each inch of its form. These spikes retracted inside the ball for a moment and they hurled themselves out to everywhere. This attack was made with the full intention to crush and destroy everything inside this place.

One large ray of frost flew above the destroyed island, turning every spike into an icy sculpture that fell dead in the water; while all the others rained hell above the smaller desolates islands and the open sea. The ones aimed at the walls barely made contact with the opposing elements before being destroyed.

This outcome deeply upsetting Giratina, as the monster began to trash hits tail around in a mad fit. He roared again, forcing new spikes to appear on his floating orb. This time however, a cross of beams flew right up far quicker than the dragon could react. Ice rendered the ball completely useless for a moment, frozen into a stiff. Then the fire came and melted the entire thing into nothing but ashes.

Seeing his ultimate piece of work undone, made the mad dragon snap. This time the tendrils on his back swirled back together in two distinct things; massive claws made out of darkness and anger. Those members turned to the side and stretched themselves to the walls, piercing it and reaching to the other. Each one stroke true in its target and grabbed the two large bodies hiding on the other side; so with one powerful swung of his wings/claws, Giratina pulled Kyogre and Groudon inside the open space.

Kyogre trashed himself free from the claw and quickly dove down inside the ocean. Groudon in the other hand not only allowed himself to be dragged but also launched himself forward and into Giratina.

Reverted to his fully enraged self, devoid of anything but primal anger and ferocious power, Groudon began to assault the grey dragon with a relentless flurry of attacks. His sharp white claws slashing, maiming and tearing apart any bit of flesh they could reach into. Not too long, Giratina found himself overwhelmed by pain as the red primal continued to attack unhinged in his way.

The grey dragon screeched out in pain once more, jerking both of his massive claws/wings at Groudon. Both latching onto the molten titan and restraining him up into the air. With a murderous glare in his eyes, Giratina held Groudon right in front of him, while he charged up the biggest beam of power he could muster so he would destroy this fiend forever.

Before the crackling dark energy could properly, form in front of Giratina's guarded mouth, Kyogre's heavy body swoops down from bellow and tackled the giant dragon on the underside of his long belly.

Once more, Giratina cried out of pain, this time the intensity getting so out of proportions it forced the mad dragon to release his hold of Groudon and drop the red primal on the shallow waters below them.

Fuming, boiling, almost tearing himself apart with rage, Giratina turned his attention to the sapphire giant that just landed on the water again. He created a flurry of endless shadow tentacles in a mere instant, commanding every single one of them to seek and destroy any sign of life hiding under that blue sea.

As the first wave of tentacles reached inside the water, Giratina felt his strikes connect with Kyogre's body, and an even bigger confirmation of this was the pained cry erupting from bellow. The destructive monster could almost laugh in joy after hearing those cries, but little time he had to relish in his victory, as Groudon created an ever-growing pillar of stone beneath him and launched himself in the air again.

One strike, one swipe from right to left was all that it took. Groudon slashed a devastating gush across Giratina's chest, tearing out a large portion of flesh out of the dragon's body. For the first time, real blood escaped Giratina's body; the dragon jerked his body backward in the full blow out of pain washing his body, the human boy stuck in his back yelled just as high as if his own chest had been cut open.

Groudon fell onto the open sea in a messy way with his back turned to the water, but his gaze ever so focused on the monster screeching above him. As the red primal disappeared inside the water, the blue one came flying right out. Kyogre flew like a proper bird towards the sky, his large blue body and yellow spots shining with the circling lights of the dome. He clashed is entire body weight against Giratina, sending the dragon flying even far up and then unleashed a violent stream of water towards it.

Like little blades, those splashes of waters cut even more at Giratina's skin, taking out more blood and destroying even more of the powerful dragon's body.

" **I WON'T FAIL!"**

"I WON'T FAIL!"

The duo of voices stormed out in between their cries of pain.

" **YOU WILL NEVER BEST ME! NEVER!"**

"YOU WILL NEVER BEST ME! NEVER!"

Giratina did an instant roll of his body, getting upside down as if his own head was not the one in control anymore; instead, the boy at his back has taken it to himself. All this motion was made just for Josh to be the one facing down to the falling Kyogre. With his eyes trembling in a crazed manner, the boy snarled as he eyed Kyogre, he brought one hand up/down, towards the sapphire primal and the darkness around him obeyed.

" **VERMINS LIKE YOU… SHOULD JUST DIE!"**

"VERMINS LIKE YOU… SHOULD JUST DIE!"

Giratina's twisted six tendrils moved at an erratic pace, all of them cracking and turning into deadly sharp spikes. The boy pointed them at Kyogre, his eyes full of darkness and murderous intention.

Before the dark cold hand of darkness could pierce the primal's life away, a third figure blasted out from the walls at the left, a current of water carrying him through the air. This smaller silhouette, at the size of an adult person, simply flew at full speed towards Giratina.

One full burst of blood exploded from the dragon yet again, this time it was not from his body, but rather from the human attached at his back. As the violent pain consumed Josh's every though, he felt himself being pulled and snatched out from the dragon's body. Lost in his confusion, he darted his eyes downward just to see an entire arm passing through his chest; a human arm but covered in engraved red stones and blue shining lines spread throughout the entire length of it.

He fell from the sky, spinning out of control, he felt himself falling and falling; until his body came to a harsh halt as they landed on the destroyed island where once stood Sky Pillar.

A full load of blood just escaped his mouth in violent flux, forcing Josh to jerk his head backward and stare at the sky. There he witnesses Giratina revert to its first form, but all mangled and injuries from his previous wounds.

The grey dragon, overtaken by the grim sense of dread, felt his power diminish and his body to hurt even more as it grew in size, enlarging his open wounds. Right then, he wanted to curse; curse at his world, curse at his fate and curse for having lost; but the destroyer got no chance to spill his venom in the form of his voice.

From the ocean below, a great green form flew out to the sky, creating an immense shadow over Giratina's beaten form. He turned his body in a bobbing motion, his muscles aching just from moving, and there he saw the king of all dragons staring at him without a shred of mercy in his eyes.

Rayquaza felt his body sizzle with power, his entire being trembling over the amount of energy gathering at the base of his mouth. Roaring louder than ever before, the emerald deity released his fury upon the invader, and a stream of retribution washed over Giratina's form. This power, this vengeance filled beam of light engulfed Giratina's entire form, washing over him like a benevolent tyrant. Seeping his life away, but in the process removing any pain away from his mind. In its final moments, Giratina just closed his eyes and let himself be carried away by that comforting feeling.

"It is… over?" Josh said stricken by the realization. He watched in horror as Giratina got simply disintegrated by Rayquaza's fury. His chest ached furiously, remembering of his own fate, a new wave of blood escaping from his lips. Right then, trashing to the side to vomit the crimson liquid, he notices that he is not lying on the ground, instead someone is holding him with one arm while the other is clearly inside of him. "To think… that you would be the one to kill me..." He let out a dry chuckle, a pained one.

Spiegel scoffed, feeling lines of blood flood his hand, dripping down from his sharp-claws shaped fingers. This blood running down from his right arm, the one he used to pierce Josh's chest, now changed and mutated in a different form, covered in a rough darker grey skin with pellets red of stones over it and blue bright lines as if they are his veins. "I wanted nothing of this. You forced my hand, you and that thing. Because of you, Brendan…"

"Don't… push that on me… or you." Josh said back, furring his brows. "Giovanni… is the cause… he would have done it… anyway…" Another heard bloodied cough escaped the raven-haired young man, his eyes getting dulled and large shades appearing under them. "Do not… kid yourself… Deoxys… you are… the only monster left… and one day… you will… do the same as I did."

Spiegel frowned deeply at that remark. He hates being called a monster, as he once called himself that many times. "I am not like you…" His voice came out surly, almost angry. "And I will never be like you." He looked down at the man in his arms, and saw that the sparkle of life had left his eyes. A terrible vile feeling festered inside of him, as his own hands have taken another life away.

Slowly pulling his changed arm out of Josh's chest, Spiegel settled the deceased trainer carefully on the ground. He eyed the boy one last time, then looked at his blood-drenched hand and winced. Feeling terrible yet again, he brought his normal hand toward his face, crouching down onto the broken mess of rocks at his feet. Spiegel sat there, even more lost and depressed than before.

Because of him, the darkness surrounding Hoenn slowly began to disappear. However, the bright sunlight didn't come back to grace the sky, instead a peaceful but gloomy rain began to fall upon them. In this bleak resolution, the region himself responded to the turmoil inside the young doppelganger's heart, shaping the scenery into a grey picture, far way of feeling like a victory.

Curled up in his tiny spot, Spiegel started to cry yet again. From up close, it looks like he is totally alone and dejected in this world. But looking at this picture from a greater distance, one could see three gigantic figures standing at the shores of the island, the three deities of Hoenn watching over him in quiet solidarity. Moreover, just above the wrecked and hubris spread over the Island, two sad-looking persons are watching him cry.

As much as he feels like at the moment, Spiegel is not alone in his suffering.

* * *

_P.S: After this chapter I can come out and confess that the story is very close to its end. It is not one or two chapters away from the ending, but very close. While the major conflict is done and finished, there are still things to get resolved and proper resolutions for a few characters. I will not reveal much more than this, but the ending will not be as bittersweet as it seems right now._

_If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)_


	36. Choices

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

Heated voices, bloated arguments and wandering words without a proper purpose but yelled loud enough to try to cross a pointless point around the table; this is the overbearing mood that has been plaguing these 'meetings' ever since the first one.

For more than too many occasions Ethan felt the urge to raise his voice above all others, to yell, curse and accuse like everyone else. By the number of times they had done it already he figures it must feel really good to do so. Instead of giving in to his frustration, and rattling the group around him even more, the young champion reserved himself to just watch silently in his corner.

"This is ridiculous!" Steven protested loudly, the blue-steel haired scion waved both arms above his head in exasperation.

"What else would you suggest? We can't keep the League's halls closed forever." A just as agitated Drake raised his voice as well. "Steven, you have to reconsider. You have the experience and you were the previous holder of the title."

Apart from Steven and Drake locked in their inflamed debate; Wally, Cynthia, Glacia, Max – of all people – and of course Ethan. All gathered in one of the breakrooms at the League's building, they have been doing this for the past month, getting together most of the people who are aware of Brendan's fate, trying to solve the massive gap the young champion left behind.

Each attendee is seating on heavy padded chairs around a newly arranged wooden table, this arrangement being provided by Drake himself after their initial gathering had taken more than five hours, in which everyone had to be standing for the lack of a proper seat.

"Drake, I passed down the title of Champion to Brendan. I made that decision without any intention of coming back." Steven rebuked.

"HE IS GONE!" Drake yelled angrily. The old sailor regretted his words as soon as they spat out of his mustached mouth, even if the morbid guilty eating inside of him was not enough to make him feel overly sad, the angered glares of everyone else was there to make it even worse. "I feel sorry for the boy, he was brilliant. Not only a great trainer but also an amazing person. However, no amount of grieving will bring him back; we cannot stay like this forever. The League's gates must be open again."

"I will not stop you from doing that, but don't count me as a choice for the 'new' champion." Steven's chair rolled back as he pushed his back against its support; his gaze drifting towards the wall with a glint of annoyance imprinted on it.

Glacia gently made a noise with her throat, getting the attention to herself. "One alternative would be to create a special tournament with the champion title as the prize."

"While the idea in itself is not a bad plan, it is something that would not be right." Drake let out a long sigh. Pinching the sides of his mustache with two fingers, the old man closed his eyes in consideration but still shook his head in disapproval. "Whoever got lucky enough to 'survive' through the gauntlet of dozens of trainers, would only be that; lucky. We cannot choose Hoenn's best like that, not after Brendan standing undefeated for so long."

"What about Spiegel?" Wally's throwaway comment earned himself a stream of curious gazes to turn at him. The young Gym Leader who was already feeling out of place in here and only got more wary of himself after taking the spotlight. He 'calmly' coughed on the back of his hand, regaining a bit of poise as he tried to resume his thoughts. "Aside from a special few, no one knows about… Brendan. Spiegel looks just like him; maybe he would be the best choice for the moment."

The young green-tea haired boy expected his comment to be completely blow off and even get heavily criticized because of it. However, what followed his words was a quiet consideration by everyone listening to him; Well, almost everyone.

Despite his best attempts to be just a shadow witnessing their constant butting of heads and empty ideas, Ethan could not hold in the soundly scoff that flew out of him.

"Want to share something?" Steven eyed the raven-haired trainer, his piercing gaze almost poking a hole at the young man's body.

"Sure… let's share something." Ethan replied with a sliver of sarcasm. "This person lost his 'brother' on the same day that he had to punch a hole through some dude's chest, which by the way left him shaken to his core. But hey, let's ask him to step in and assume his brother's place. That would be grand."

"Is your point of being here just to berate us?" Steven asked with a dangerous edge to his voice. "To this day, I have yet to see you say anything constructive. Is this something common in Johto? To just stand at the side and spew some jokes at others?"

"No… I just spew jokes on hypocritical individuals." A snorting growl escaped the golden-eyed boy, a slightly disgusted grimace appearing on his face. "A little over a month… Do you even know what he did? How he went? Now you're just trying to wash him aside like he is a fucking memory?"

Ethan had gone too far, everyone else in the room recognized this, but no one expected the furious reaction on Steven's part. Both of his arms bashed violently on the top of the large table in front of him, the strength of his outburst being so big that the entire thing trembled with a ringing sound.

"Don't you dare… N-Never, never insinuate anything like that ever again." Steven glared at Ethan with furious eyes, his blood-red gaze unsettling even the veteran Drake. Ethan, however, just continued to look at him without a slight shift in his spot. "Brendan was my best friend; he was one of the closest people I ever had. Trying to wash him aside? YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE TWO OF US."

"Maybe… maybe I don't." Ethan replied rather calmly, turning his gaze away in a completely uninterested manner. "But one month is way too soon for me to give up on him." Having his share of this non-sense, Ethan pushed himself away from his corner and stepped out of the room.

Steven watched the other man leave, both his arms trembling with the raging indignation pulsing within his body. As the heavy door closed behind Ethan's back, Steven snarled and whipped his head to the side, gritting his teeth in exasperation. "Too soon to give up? What else I am supposed to do then?" He said deflated, his gaze going down as the feeling of utter failure and sadness took over him.

The blond woman at his side, pulled her chair closer to his, taking one hand to his arm and caringly giving her support for him. "Maybe we should postpone this decision for a little while longer." Cynthia suggested with her compose manner of talking, addressing both Drake and Glacia with her sharp grey eyes.

"That would unfortunate but understandable." Drake gave in, pinching the bridge of his nose as he relented. "Wally, could you at least attempt to converse with this Spiegel person? Even if only by his appearance, he would greatly help the League solves this manner."

Wally readily nodded, but deep down he has no idea of how he would do this. He tried to get in touch with Spiegel multiple times, each with less success than the other did. Even May had failed to get a hold of the mysterious doppelganger; it is as if he has vanished from the world.

As the other four gave their farewells to the remaining two, Steven fell even more in his depressed trance. In the privacy of this room, Cynthia pulled him over to her and wrapped the heartbroken man in a warm, lovingly embrace; whispering sweet words at his ears.

"I still can't accept it either…" He confessed in a sobbing whisper. "My friend is… gone. He saved us one more time, putting himself on the line for everyone else. He didn't deserve this, he more than anyone deserved to be happy."

"I know…" Cynthia breathed the words against Steven's ear.

"If I only could see him one last time…" At the memory of their last encounter, their last friendly chat, the silly banter traded with each other; Steven broke completely. Letting his head sink on top of Cynthia's lap, the blue-haired scion let his tears roll down, his desperate voice flowing in its painful cry. He misses his friend so greatly, a bleeding wound in his heart that will never properly heal.

* * *

Silver always thought that getting stuck in the past is a clear sign of weakness, lingering with what should have been done and what should be prevented will never solve anything. After weeks of wrecking his brains over the events during and following his father's invasion, the young red-haired has learned to rethink that opinion of his.

Holding the already cold mug of coffee on both hands, he keeps staring at the half-full container as the darkened liquid danced in waves at each subtle movement. Never caring for his father in the least, or so he thought, for so many years; Silver finds himself hurting with the idea of never seeing that man again. Still unable to point this as growing guilt over the atrocities that vile man will probably commit in who knows where or just a dormant family bond that was inside of him all along.

Taking the latter consideration as an offense to his entire being, the pale young man scoffed. 'As if…' He hissed mentally.

"Are you feeling well?" A slightly worried Looker called out to him, the veteran investigator sitting across the table with a few files sitting in front of him. "Maybe we should leave this conversation for another time; when you're feeling better." Messing with the knot of his tie, the older man was feeling rather apprehensive about the boy, something that was very clear by his intense gaze.

A low and soft curse slipped by Silver's lips behind a longer breath. He had been so distracted by the maelstrom of conflicting thoughts inside his head that he has forgotten the whole reason why he was sitting in this small café to begin with.

"It is… nothing." He said calmly, waving one hand in dismissal. "Just the idea of 'him' getting unscathed out of this, makes me sick."

"I share the same sentiment." Looker practically spat his utter disgust with the idea of Giovanni getting away after so much destruction. "The idea of someone crossing some kind of barrier between time and space to flee into another world… I have to admit, it is still a bit difficult to believe."

"Difficult to believe or not, it doesn't change reality. Giovanni has eluded us, worse than that; he managed to escape in a way that we can't follow him." Once again, that depressing feeling sunk Silver's heart to the floor. For so long he wanted to 'get hid' of Giovanni and the stigma that is being related to that man brought to the young trainer's life; yet now that he is gone, it feels like a huge part of Silver's life is missing.

"What do you think that is his goal? A twisted plan to conquer a world without Pokémon with his army of them?" Rummaging with his files, Looker tried to find an answer in his notes or even some reports. Nothing that touched his fingers brought him closer to solve this mystery.

"At best, Giovanni will just try to seize control of this new world and fail." Shaking his head quietly, Silver had a hard time believing that his father would go down that easily. "Or he could succeed in terrorize the people there, then come back here to spew his venom at us again."

Looker nodded at that, the veteran also has a feeling that this was not the last they have seen of the crime lord. "In my selfish whims, I do hope that he tries to attack us again. Fighting another 'war' with him feels a lot better than letting him to fate. Giovanni has to pay for his crimes."

"That he does…" Silver smiled, even if faintly. He eyed Looker with a mix of his natural smug face and a sincere smile. "I feel you old man; If that bastard never comes back, I feel like my life will be just a constant stream of maybes and what-ifs."

Eyeing the younger man with a quirked eyebrow, Looker just shook his in a playful manner as he addressed Silver's comment. "You're a good kid, Silver. Maybe a bit grey on the inside and sarcastic to a fault, but you are a good person."

Silver groaned, rolling his eyes in an upward swing but still holding a friendly smile on his lips. "Don't get emotional on me old man. We just share a common enemy, nothing to be deep and overly friend about."

'Defensive to a fault too.' Looker kept this comment to himself, seeing as the boy is rather feisty about getting involved with anyone. In their previous encounter a few years ago, Looker wondered if the boy would turn out to be okay in his life. Raised in a troubled home, running after the shadow of his evil father and instinctively pushing anyone away from him at the first opportunity. Lost in coldness, how could this boy turn well in any shape or form? Looker always wondered.

"How about his goons? Did you manage to squeeze anything of use out of those clowns?" Silver asked, not troubling himself to hide his distaste for the black-clad criminals.

"A fruitless endeavor as ever. Giovanni is like a puppeteer, controlling those people from the shadows." In his jaded facial expressions, the older man is showing clear signs of exhaustion that this headache of a case has brought to him. Way too many years dedicated to catching one single individual and he has failed yet again. "Some of his 'victims' were willing to share any information they had with us, after some incentive of course. As you can imagine, your father never told them anything of importance, so they are as clueless as we are, maybe even more clueless if that is possible. However, there is this girl. The blonde one, responsible for the atrocities in Rustboro. She knows something about her master's plans, I know she does. But to this day she has yet to say anything that is not offensive words or complete delusional reveries"

"If she was brainwashed as every officer of Team Rocket is, you will never get her to talk." Silver scoffed. "Have you moved them yet? Or are you planning in transforming Lavaridge in some sort of prison's backward?"

"We already moved most of the people arrested in Giovanni's little crusade. They will be housed somewhere in Sinnoh, I can't say where. You understand." Despite the funny look he received from the younger trainer, Looker appreciated his understanding nod. "The more dangerous ones, like that Scarlet girl. We will be transporting them soon enough, the people of Lavaridge have been of great help to us, I want nothing more than to relieve their little town of this burden."

"Heeeyaa, Looker!" Ethan's booming voice stormed from the main entrance of the building; if his loud entrance had not been enough to get every costumer's attention to him, the light of the noon sun invading the building through the open double door helped in that quite a lot. "Can I steal my boyfriend from you for a moment?"

Silver wanted to die, the red-haired boy truly wanted to put his head inside the ground and stop breathing. That would be better than having to deal with this embarrassing nightmare. Of course, Ethan would not only shout that ridiculous fraise at the top of his lungs, no, he also had to point at him to make clear to everybody of whom he is speaking of.

Stunned for quite a bit at the brazen presentation, Looker stared at Ethan with a speechless daze. However, a single glance to the young man in front of him had the man snorting out the start of a laugh. The cool, distance and sarcastic boy who seemed so untouchable by everyone, is burning red with the blush taking over the color of his entire face. To make the scene even funnier, he is curling against his seat, covering his face with both arms, just a little space left to peak at the other boy. It was too much, Looker just lost himself to full heated laughter, something that made Silver's suffering get worse as the boy tried to completely hide behind the table.

'You found a light for your life, didn't you kid?' Looker mused in his inner thoughts, his exterior self-still laughing away quite loudly indeed.

"Come on, Silver. It's kinda lame to be hiding under the table." Having skooched his way to their table, Ethan stared down at the little mound on the table's light-red tablecloth, the most impish grin flourishing onto his lips. "Didn't you missed me? I missed you quite a lot!" He boasted loudly, making sure that everyone could hear his voice. "All I thought when getting over here was the idea of snuggling onto your fluffy hair and all that."

If people weren't gossiping about them before, they sure have started now, some eyeing them with a deep frown of disapproval, while others are giggling excitedly in between their quiet gossips.

Part of the tablecloth went flying high as the pale boy jumped from his spot, his face almost at the same color as his hair. He practically smacked his hand onto Ethan's arm, grabbing a firm hold of the loudmouthed piece of work. "Stop talking already!" He hissed in annoyance and without daring to take a look at any table around them, Silver began to stomp toward the exit while dragging the source of his profound mortification.

Succeeding in his task of riddling up Silver's emotions, Ethan let his lover drag him away; turning for a brief moment toward Looker's direction to give the veteran officer a flashy grin and a wink. Looker waved back at the boy, letting them go to their young and spirited escape.

"Why you pull this kind of crap?" Silver snarled lividly. He is dragging the raven-haired boy across the peaceful streets of Lavaridge Town. Despite how unusual it is for any commotion to be happening at this time around here, the citizens of Lavaridge have already learned to just ignore whenever that specific young man is involved.

"I wasn't lying, I missed you a lot." Ethan said innocently, his tone managing to grit even more at the poor red-haired boy's patience.

Silver stopped and turned around, making clear eye contact with those golden shining eyes. "That isn't the point!" He snarled angrily again. "Why do you yell t-that type of stuff? It's weird, and people will look at us."

"Weird?" Ethan asked. He was fully aware of what his boyfriend was talking about, but there is still to be a day where Ethan will pass up the opportunity to tease Silver. "I don't get what was weird about that."

"Not that… you're just making fun of me again aren't you?" The realization quick came to Silver after a glimpse of that stupid grin on Ethan's face. Sighing out in exasperation Silver let go of his hold on Ethan's arm and slowly walked toward the pair of benches at the edge of the warm sands close to the open hot springs. "You know that this is weird, right?" He brought his gaze to Ethan as the boy walked closer and sat by his side.

"We already had this talk before, remember?" Ethan said in full seriousness, dropping his playful persona. "Someone might find it strange, two guys that like each other. But I don't care. Why would I give more value to a stranger's opinion over our feelings?"

"Not everyone has the life hack of not feeling fear over anything." Silver gave out a faint smile, pressing both of his hands in a tight hold in between his legs.

"Woah, are you telling me that the 'gives no fucks' Silver is afraid of what people will think of him?" Ethan replied with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "That isn't like you at all."

"When I am sulking at the corner is a lot easier to be like that. Not so easy when you're at my side, shining like the sun and getting everyone's attention to us."

"If I shine like that, it is because you're the one standing at my side."

The same violent blush from before returned to Silver's face, covering even the tip of his ears. He had to avoid his gaze away from Ethan because if he looked at that grin for any longer he would lose his mind. "Jeez… stop being so corny."

Distracted by his thumping heart and the need to avert his thoughts to a different place, Silver didn't notice the quiet shuffling happening at his side. Only when one of Ethan's hand slipped on top of his hands that Silver jumped slightly in surprise.

Moving carefully and patiently to not startle the red-haired away, Ethan grabbed Silver's right hand into a firm but comforting grip. They joined hands and laced their fingers together, the red tilt on Silver's face only getting brighter. "I have seriously been thinking about this, especially with these days I've been away…" Ethan let the sentence hang in the air from a little while, drawing Silver's genuine attention, curiosity is more than evident on those red eyes. "I think I am in love with you."

Silver's breath came to a full halt, his eyes widening a lot in his surprise. Have those words ever been traded between them? He cannot remember. If so, it was never like this; raw and pure emotions with no sign of Ethan's usual antics.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head weakly. "It's a funny thing. It took me a whole week away to notice that every spare thought I had, it was devoted to you. Were you okay? Were you hungry or sleepy? Were you missing me as much as I missed you?" He sighed, bending his body forward, letting his gaze fall onto the sand in front of the bench. "Please, don't say that 'us' are weird or wrong. It only makes me feel like I am a fool; like I am the only one invested."

"You're not!" Not what? Silver considered the words very carefully and when Ethan raised his head to look at him, it only made his throat go dry and his heart to go faster. "You're not the only one… thinking about you is the only reason I was able to keep my sanity these past days... I missed you, you doofus. I missed you a lot." He tightened the hold of their hands, the warm sensation coming out of the touch making Silver feels like butterflies were swirling the inside of his belly. "Where were you anyway? You just left me here and went away without a single warning."

Ethan's big smile lasted a little longer, his eyes remained on the features of his lover's face, studying every little aspect of him. Then, a shadowy look took over his eyes, as if his shining happiness had fled him as he immersed himself deep in thoughts.

"I've been trying to… find Brendan." He said with a low and conflicted tone. Silver's demeanor also changed, the overly blushing boy getting back the paleness of his skin, together with his stern face, attentively waiting for Ethan to continue. "First I asked Celebi to take me back to that day, where everything happened…"

Silver frowned; he didn't like that one bit. He saw how much Ethan was troubled and deeply shaken that day. Even the bight gold color of his eyes had disappeared back to their original grey, something that he has never seen before. "And?" He asked, not too thrilled to know the answer.

"He was not there." Ethan replied grimly. "Everything was playing exactly the same, that aircraft crashing on top of me, the battle… the destruction. But Brendan was not by my side, he was nowhere to be found."

"Is that… normal?" Silver asked slightly confused. He never had the pretentious notion of knowing what is normal or abnormal in Ethan's life, now more than ever. So, in the passing weeks, Silver has learned to treat things with a trusting sense of causality, as if anything and everything is possible for the young Guardian.

Ethan shook his head. "No, on the contrary." He pulled himself up, straightening his back against the bench and turning his body to be facing to Silver. "I can even see myself when I go back in time, not even my current self injected in there interferes with me of the past. Brendan not being there is abnormal in every sense."

"So, he was removed from existence or something?" The red-haired asked.

"I thought of that for a moment, but if it that was true, we would have no recollection of him. He would not exist so there would be nothing for us to remember him by." Ethan pushed his back even more onto his seat support, his head tilting backward letting his gaze travel to the bright sky. "Silver… I think I found a way. I think I can bring him back."

"But you don't look so happy about it. What's the problem?" Silver eyed him with a watchful gaze, noting even the small changes in the corner of Ethan's lips.

"I… If I am right, I don't know if I am fully right on this one… But if I am, we would have to lose one to bring another back." Ethan alluded to his other friend, one that also needed some salvation himself. "How I am supposed to choose between them? This doesn't feel right."

"Then don't choose." Silver simply state, his words making Ethan look at him with a quirked brow. "Tell him about it, let him choose. If this will put him in danger, he should be the one choosing, no?"

Letting out a pensive hum, Ethan considered that carefully. "Maybe you're right. Let's just hope that this is not a mistake."

* * *

Working passionately has always been one of Flannery's joys and escape tools. Being in charge of Lavaridge's Pokémon Gymnasium is a handful task, but a deeply rewarding one, now this feeling is present in her life more than ever. But with Hoenn still healing from the crazy events of one month ago, barely anyone has come to the gym to challenge the trainers there, imagine to challenge the fiery leader herself.

It is in this troublesome dilemma that Flannery is finding herself spending more and more time inside her house. Gazing patiently at the closed door on the other side of the room; just like yesterday and the day before that, she is sitting on the floor of her living room, staring at that bedroom with a worried look in her face. She would be there, sadly lost in her own thoughts most of the time, if it was not for a new pair of friendly 'intruders' that had made her house their home.

A soft biting itch flared at the side of her left foot, lively squeals sounding from the small creature desperately trying to get her attention. She looked at the little rodent still nibbling at her little toe and smiled.

"You're very clingy, aren't you?" She is still surprised that she can talk in such a teasing manner with anyone, even a Pokémon. But the little guy has grown on her, the little stunts he pulls for attention manages to amuse her every time. "Are you lonely too?" She asked him, leaning to the side and picking up the feisty Linoone on her arms.

The striped brown Pokémon squealed even louder in protest, wiggling energetically in her hold so desperately trying to get away. But apparently, Flannery misunderstood his intention and just squished him even harder in a hug. "Why won't he talk with us?" She asked sadly.

Thud, thud, thud. Three soundly knocks banged at the front door, by the rhythmic pace of them, the person is ever so politely losing a bit of their patience after knocking so many times and not getting a response. But thankfully, Flannery has managed to hear the knocks this time around after Linoone pulled her away from her deep thoughts.

She frowned at the entrance hall of her home; she doesn't really feel like receiving anyone at this moment. "I'm coming." She announced just loud enough to stop the person from knocking another time, then she stood up and walked over to the door still holding the Linoone on her arms.

"Hello there, cutie." As soon as the door slipped open, Ethan greeted her with one of his bright grins.

Seeing him again brought a sincere wide smile to Flannery's lips. She giggled at his flirting wink, shaking her head to him in a playful manner. "Won't your boyfriend get angry if he sees you flirting with people?" She asked in jest.

Ethan raised both hands and shrugged in good spirits. "What Silver doesn't know, he can't punch my face about it."

Flannery giggled at his antics again. She turned towards her living room and invited the boy in. The small Pokémon in her hand, however, was far from happy of that development as he kept glaring at Ethan with wary eyes.

Making himself at home is never a hard task for the golden-eye boy; this time was not different either. He just strolled in and took a seat on the comfiest chair on Flannery's living room, eyeing the girl suspiciously as she has chosen to just sit on the floor again. "Your plushy toy seems a bit scared of me." Ethan pointed at Linoone, giving the Pokémon one of his famous smug smirks.

Now Linoone was wiggling furiously in the girl's arms, his squeals now twice as loud. **"I told you to stop hugging me! I was just warning you about the door, not asking to be cuddled to death."**

Glancing downwards into the frantic little guy, Flannery frowned slightly. Saying calming words to the Pokémon in hopes of calming his erratic little body. To her surprise, Ethan's healthy laugh echoed around the house, the raven-haired trainer looking very amused by the exchange.

"I don't think he wants to be held like that." Ethan suggested.

To which Flannery eyed him with a quirked brow and then eyed Linoone again. "Why you say that? He loves hugs."

" **No, I don't! It's you that keeps hugging me all the time."** Linoone protested very loudly her grave 'accusations' of his cool and composed self, but to the fiery Gym Leader, his words were nothing more than adorable little squeals.

Ethan laughed again, but this time for just a while. "He just said that he doesn't like it." He explained pointing to the feisty little fellow. "But if I were you, I would keep squishing him against those mounds of yours just to annoy him a little more."

Blinking in mild confusion, Flannery stared at Ethan for a while and then gasped quietly. "Oh… you can understand them too." She said weakly, letting go of the little menace in her arms that happily jumped away from her, zooming around to another room. "He looked so comfy in our hugs." Her shoulders deflated at the rejection, it felt like she lost a little squeezing buddy that she had for the past days.

"Nah, don't let it get to you. He is probably shy and doesn't want to admit that he likes to be cuddled. He could just easily scratch you with those long claws of his if he detested the closeness so much." Ethan dismissed her worries, his words bringing back a shy smile to her face. "I don't remember you having a Linoone. Where did he come from?"

"I didn't… I don't. He just showed up one day, he and Leon." She saw Ethan raise his brows and slapped herself mentally for leaving the information out. "Leon is one big Arcanine that joined my official team recently. Spiegel says that he is close friends with 'little troublemaker'." She giggled at the mention of that name. "After a few days of living together with them, I asked Leon if he wanted to battle with us on the Gym and he accepted to enter my team."

"Spiegel… how is he doing?" Ethan saw the warmth happiness of her face slowly fade away with his question.

Flannery drifted her gaze back to that closed door she watches so much in her spare time, her heart sinking low at the quietness of that room. "He is getting worse. Before Spiegel would spend the afternoons with me, we would talk, sometimes he rested his head on my lap and cried. Now he doesn't eat, he barely gets out of the bedroom… I'm scared, Ethan. Scared that someday he will just give up on living."

"That bad…" Ethan wanted to punch himself on the face. He has been so focused on Brendan that he has neglected the 'Brendan' that is alive and in desperate need of help. "You think I could see him?" He asked Flannery with a pleading tone. "Maybe I can get him to walk outside again."

She presented him with a thankful smile, nodding gladly to his question. "He always responds when I talk with him. I am sure he will be happy to see you." Getting up to her feet, Flannery motioned to Ethan to follow her and walked them to the door of Spiegel's borrowed room.

But as the two young adults were to reach the door, a blur of brown flew past them, leaving them in a bit of a daze. As they followed the trail of fur that flashed in front of them, they found a self-imposing Linoone barring the way to the room. He just stood on his back pawns and spread both little front claws to the sides.

"Hey… what are you doing?" Flannery scolded him with a deep frown, it did little to shake the small Pokémon from his resolve.

Ethan gave the girl a small pat on her shoulder, getting her attention to him. "Let me handle this." He said with a confident grin. Receiving an unsure nod from her, Ethan took the chance and approached the Linoone, crouching in front of him. "What's the problem, tough guy?"

" **I can't let you enter this room unless you know the password."** Linoone boasted firmly at the tall man in front of him.

"Password?" Ethan said back with a funny face. "Hm… how would I know that you know the password?"

" **Wait… What?"** Linoone said utterly confused by that dance of words.

"You see, if you don't know the password, then I could say it to you but then you wouldn't be able to tell if I am right." The ingenious golden-eyed trainer shook his head in a theatrical fashion, making a dramatic scene as only he could. "So, you know the password?"

" **Of course I know the password!"** Replied in a fit, the outraged little Pokémon. **"I just made it up, stupid face!"**

"And you expect me to know a password that you just made up?" Ethan commented with a sheepish grin. "That doesn't seem very fair, does it?"

" **Ah… hm… Forget the password then."** Replied the little furry ball with a loud grunt. **"You're still not allowed to enter."**

"Listen, Mr. Troublemaker. The guy in there is my friend, I guess he is your friend too, right?" Ethan slowly leaned closer to Linoone, tapping two fingers at his furry forehead. "I just want to see him getting better, I know you would want that as well. Just let me talk with him, maybe I can help. Even if a little bit."

Linoone paused. He eyed Ethan for long seconds, studying every little bit he could see about the man. **"You can enter…"** He said in a small squeal, slowly lowering his arms and getting on his four legs again. **"But stop calling me Troublemaker. That's not my name."**

Ethan nodded and smiled, giving space for Linoone to walk past him. "What is your name then?" He asked and the small Pokémon stopped to glance at him.

" **I have no name. I am just me."** Sounding a lot cooler than what he intended, the small rodent turned away again and vanished away inside the house, leaving his friend in the care of those two, hoping that they would manage to bring back Spiegel's smile to his face.

Flannery quietly pulled the doorknob down, pushing the door open with care. "Spiegel?" She called out to him, her eyes going to the empty bed and panicking momentarily after not seeing him. But a quick gaze to the and she found the shirtless boy laying down on the cold naked floor. "Spiegel! What are you doing there?" She quickly rushed to the bed, taking the heavy pinky blanket on her hands and kneeling over to him.

She moved the comfortable cover on top of him, her fingers grazing against the rough skin of his changed arm. To this day she still winces at the touch of his grey-colored member, feeling the texture of those pieces of stones stuck in his arm makes her wonder if it hurts him when she touches them or if they feel like just a part of him.

"Hey… why are you on the floor?" She asked again, this time gently whispering it at his ear.

The boy groaned lowly, jerking his head to the side to look at her. As if he has only now noticed that Flannery is at his side, his eyes grew bigger and his lips pressed in a thin line changed to a soft smile. "I had a nightmare… I felt like I would sink inside the mattress, it's too soft…"

"It's okay… you can stay here. I will keep you warm." Flannery felt his hand touch and softly caress her cheek, it pained her to see him so broken like this but her heart still warms seeing how sweet and caring he still is despite his own situation. "Spiegel… Ethan is here to see you."

"Ethan?" Spiegel's features softened up a lot more, a long-lost sparkle returning to his eyes as he gazed over to the door to see the figure of his tall friend.

"Hey there buddy." It is so hard for Ethan to not feel pity as he looked down at the lighter body of his friend. Flannery's account of him barely eating is true, seeing how much skinnier he is now. But pity will take Spiegel nowhere and Ethan knows that; he knows that better than anyone else. So, he refused to look at his friend with anything less than a warm acknowledging smile. "I know I've been distant lately. I feel like an ass for not coming over as often, but I had a good reason. That reason is why am I here today.

"What reason?" Spiegel asked curiously.

"I want your help." Ethan said with a serious tone. The words making Flannery look at him with a worried look and Spiegel to at least force his upper body up to better look at his friend.

After feeling so lost and without a purpose, Spiegel looked at Ethan with focused attention. For some reason, he felt his heart throb with anticipation like this was the moment he was waiting for the entirety of this last month.

Ethan hesitated for longer than what he needed and wanted. He brushed the back of his hair with one hand, he had underestimated how hard this would be. Seeing that glow on Spiegel's eyes, that determined certainty only made everything worse. Would he be doing a grave mistake? could he only be dooming his other friend?

"Ethan…" Spiegel called out to him, desperate to know what he would say.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ethan relented. There was no going back after getting all the way here, so he closed his eyes and spoke. "I want to bring Brendan back."

A brooding silence was all that remained after those words.

* * *


	37. A Doorway to Heaven

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

* * *

"Getting the others up to speed is the easiest option, are you sure this is what you want to do?" Ethan eyed his friend warily as the other boy slowly climbed down from Lugia's large body, only when Spiegel stood with both feet on the short grass that his apprehension faded away. "This will be difficult if the last time was any indication… Maybe I should be the one doing it."

"No…" Spiegel replied, his breathing slightly shaken. He walked over and stood next to Ethan on the top of the small hill at the green garden at the top of Ever Grande. His eyes darted to the small house sitting lonely at the scenery, making his heart ache a little. "I have to do this, even if she will hate it."

A light snort escaped the young golden-eyed trainer. "If you say so, buddy." As Ethan said if last time is any indication of how things will work, saying that Zinnia will not be happy seeing them is a huge understatement.

"Ethan…" Spiegel called out to his friend, who turned his golden eye to him in response. "You're hiding something aren't you?" The question was not said in an accusatory fashion, nor did the words carry any type of ill intention to them; yet Ethan felt a sharp jab at his side after hearing it.

"What makes you say that?" Ethan asked back, his gaze profoundly studying his friend's reaction.

A low sigh came out from Spiegel, turning his head to the side; he 'revealed' his duo-colored eyes. The blue and red he carried before his massive fight against Brendan, returned to him few days after the incident, leaving him even more confused about his state. "When you were explaining your idea to Flannery and I. You had this guilty look in your eyes, like sharing that plan with us… with me, was tearing up from inside out."

"Sheesh, was I that obvious?" Ethan shook his head, messing with the back of his hair with one hand.

"Flannery didn't say anything, but I'm pretty sure she had her suspicions as well." Spiegel added.

"Poor Cutie, she looked devastated when we left her in Lavaridge." Quirking up one brow, he looked back at his friend, a clear observation now creeping up inside his mind. "That's why you were so adamant about leaving her there?"

"Flannery, she is…" Now Spiegel sighed deeply, his face breaking down from its cold-stoic mood to a very soft and warm one. "Amazing is one easy word to describe her. I am not dumb, nor I was oblivious to what I have forced her to go through. Even locked inside that room, I could feel her on the other side of that door, always looking out for me. She didn't need to, the day I showed up on her door she could've just pushed me away. Instead, she took me in, cared for this broken piece of crap that I am right now… she deserves more than that."

Ethan firmly frowned, taking a more firm stance closer to his friend. "You want something to go wrong?" He asked outraged. "If something goes bad and you die, then she will be free of you. Is that it? That is your reasoning for coming with me?"

One flared glare was Spiegel's immediate response to the question. His duo-colored heated gaze was like a piercing blade, poking a hole through Ethan's chest. "No… never. The opposite in fact." He replied calmly, a wild contrast from his initial reaction. "Living with her was nothing short of bliss. She gave me so much, much more than what I could put in words. But I am not dumb, Ethan. Flannery was always enamored with Brendan, not me. I can tell why she has chosen to stay with me, deep down she still clings to this image of him, that one day I will just turn around and be what he was."

"Isn't that unfair to her? You're basically saying that she is only with you because of how you look, who you resemble." Ethan said in a disagreeing tone, his head shaking slightly and slowing. "Flannery doesn't seem to be a shallow person, someone who would lead you in, wanting to be with someone else."

"I know she isn't, I know that. But the look in her eyes, that hopeful glint in her gaze, it always tells me how much she wants me to be like him… I get it. Before I was just like that. In a way, I am Brendan, right? It should not be that hard for me to act like him, to talk like him, to be him." With trembling fists swinging at his side, Spiegel crouched on the grass, closing his eyes in a pained manner. "You don't know how much it broke me, the day I finally understood I could never be him. It was naïve to think otherwise. Brendan lived through a lot; he did so much, traveled to a lot of places, got to know various people. What did I do? I got his memories, but that is it. I came to exist in less than one year; I did nothing, lived nothing. Doesn't surprise me how easy I broke down without him here."

Ethan stared at his friend with an understanding but concerned gaze. He doesn't know what it is like to be inside Spiegel's shoes, no one could. Yet, Ethan knows a bit how following blindly after someone's legacy destroys you, slowly and painfully, showing in the cruelest manner how you will never be more than yourself. "You don't need to be him." He tried to comfort his friend, something that work in part, as Spiegel looked at him with attentive eyes. "Brendan is a pretty great guy, even for the little I got to know him. But you're something else yourself too. Without you, this entire place would be gone. You lived something, and I can tell that with all certainty because you saved everyone this time, not Brendan, not me… You did it."

Spiegel lowered his gaze to the grass in a thought-lost manner, he pondered over those words for a moment and then raised his head again, this time giving Ethan one wide and bright thankful smile. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."

"Don't worry about it, buddy. I meant every word." Ethan responded with one wide smile himself.

Spiegel got back on his feet, but remained in place, just letting his gaze wander back to the house a bit far in the distance. "I will leave." He said quietly. "The reason why I left Flannery back on her house, is because I will go away after we do this."

"What?!" Ethan practically shouted his confusion loudly in the air. "What about we just talked? How you like her and all that?"

"That's why I will leave." Spiegel replied seriously. "On this little time I spent with Flannery, I fell in love with her. I want to spend my entire life with that girl, but I cannot; not in the way that I am right now. I want to grow, I want to travel to different places, and I want to discover who I truly am. I told you that Flannery deserves more, so much more. I will become that, not this mess that I am right now, but a person who can truly stand at her side and make her proud of having me with her."

Ethan scratched his head with a conflicted look in his face; he was ready to yell his friend back into his senses, but now he is just too confused to know how to proceed. "What if she just finds someone else? You'll be leaving without notice and then expect her to wait for you? That's a little hopeful, isn't it?"

"That could happen… and I would hate it. But that is a risk I need to take." Spiegel then cleared his throat with a low cough, his cheeks getting a small tint of red in them as he slowly rolled his eyes to the other side. "B-But, I will not be leaving her in the dark. Before you showed up today, I was already planning in doing this… that's why I had written a letter to her. I left it with Linoone and asked him to give it to her when I finally mustered enough courage to leave. Knowing him he has probably given it to her when we stepped out of the town."

"Geez, another letter?" Ethan rolled his eyes up, but his lips slowly twitched into a teasing smirk. "I bet that your only way of flirting with her was leaving small notes spread around her house." He snorted a short laugh. "Imagine, she walks up to the fridge and finds a note 'Cutie, your smile is brighter than the sun.' And then she finds a little chocolate taped to the thing; Oh the romance."

Spiegel fell silent in his embracement. In a way, because Ethan has this gift of being obnoxiously rude when he wants to, but also because he painted the scene way too close for comfort; Spiegel once made Flannery a short poem and left it on her bed, she told him that it was cute but a little tacky. Watching Brendan making fun of this only exacerbated the feeling that maybe Flannery was just being polite with him, which left the young Doppelganger mortified.

"N-never mind that!" Spiegel loudly proclaimed. "We should get going… there is a lot left to do after this."

"Sure thing, Romeo." Ethan's laughed his way after his friend, who had to hasten his pace after this other jab. "Oh, I know!" Announced the golden-eyed jester. "Maybe you should write a letter and slide it down the front door. That might do the job."

Luckily for Ethan, he is now quite a few steps behind Spiegel or else he would have heard a few not very polite names that his friend was throwing out his way.

* * *

Soft little feet tiptoed quietly from the living room and past the open door of the bedroom, in her little play of sneaking closer to her mom, Aster stood next to the wardrobe with just her long ears popping into view. Before; anytime the curious Whismur tried to catch her mom by surprise, Zinnia would somehow jump at her and surprise Aster instead. Today Aster has already climbed her way up the large bed, making a great number of noises in her clumsy movements, yet Zinnia didn't even make a motion to turn and gaze at her.

" **Mommy…"** Aster called out to Zinnia, only them the bronze-skinned girl raised her head a little and gazed at the pinky ball.

Snapping her attention away from the box sitting in front of her, Zinnia brought her bright emerald-glowing eyes to her little girl. Her eyes are puffed and her cheeks marked with a small bruised line on them as if she kept rubbing it again and again. "Aster…" She replied, her voice filled with nothing more but motherly love. Every time Zinnia hears her little girl's voice, now a proper one instead of her cute little cries from before, her hearts warm up and yet aches a little bit.

Skipping in little jumps her way closer to Zinnia, Aster moved to her side and poked her curious little eyes to the box in front of them. **"Why are you looking at the box again?"** She asked a bit worried.

Zinnia looked down at Aster climbing up her lap and a soft smile broke her lips apart. "Because it makes me feel better." She explained to Aster. "I miss him, I miss Brendan so much. But when I touch one of these…" Her hands went inside the box, pulling up with them the old and battered white cap Brendan used to wear on his younger days. "It just…" A harsh sob cut her voice; a tinkling spot appeared on her eyes as her head slowly sunk. "Like touching a part of him."

Suddenly keeping her eyes open was too much for the young draconid woman. Bringing that silly hat closer to her chest, she failed completely to hold the tears back any longer. Like many more times before, she held onto one of his mementos and cried without restraints; her sadness fighting to leave her body through those tears.

" **Mommy!"** Aster said in distress. The little pink ball pressed strongly against Zinnia's belly, her own little eyes getting wet with rolling tears. **"I don't want you to cry… Please don't cry…"** Aster eyed the white hat and her mouth began to swirl sadly. **"Mommy, when is daddy coming back?"**

Seeing her own little precious girl turn into a mess of tears and sobs, Zinnia took Aster into her arms and pressed her into a tight, loving embrace."Oh, Aster…" She thought of saying the truth, that Brendan is never coming back, but just thinking about it is enough to make Zinnia's heart-break three times more.

While mother and daughter shed tears together in that small bedroom, three others felt their grief escalate with the sound of those loud sobs. Naito and Layla both are sadly resting at the corner next to the couch; the smaller bird is resting her head on the fluffy plumage of the bigger Honchkrow. They all miss their friend dearly and watching Zinnia crying occasionally every day only makes their own pain worse.

However, from the trio of Brendan's old team the who is having it the worse it's Ekkisu. Stoic, strong-minded and always the caring leader; Ekkisu is always sharing comfort with both his team partners and the strange woman he came to like as a close friend. But inside the thick layer of reliance and strong appearance, lies the heart of a little Trecko, who for all his life shared aspirations and adventures with someone, someone that is now gone. While Ekkisu doesn't cry, not in front of anyone here, in the inside he is an even bigger mess than anyone else.

Intruding on the low choir of Zinnia and Aster sobbing voices, a flow of three knocks sounded on the front door. Layla and Naito stared at the ringing wood, while Ekkisu growled quietly and got up from his spot on the floor. With an unfriendly scowl already plastered on his face, the big Sceptile stood in front of the door and pulled the thing open. Right then, his heart stopped for a moment.

"Ekkisu!" That ever so familiar voice called out to him. If it was not for his body being stuck in place, Ekkisu would have lunged himself forward and embraced that man in front of him. "It is… good to see you again, friend." The blue-red eyed boy brought his arm up and messed up the backside of his long brown hair, this unconscious movement highlighting his arm properly, its light-grey color, blue glowing lines, and red gems sticking out.

Only then it dawned on Ekkisu that this person in front of him is not Brendan, not really. Then his overly excited expression shifted to an extremely unhappy one. The tall Sceptile thought of saying something, anything even if rude, but decided to just grunt a response back to Spiegel.

Being under the scrutiny of those sharp yellow eyes is an unnerving experience, one that Spiegel never imagined he would be in. "Can I see Zinnia?" His voice getting a bit rougher and his words stuttering slightly. "This is really important."

Ekkisu grunted again, not in a positive answer but neither a negative one. Just one neutral acknowledging grunt. Shifting his eyes to the left, he also noticed a second figure standing there, the trainer with shining golden eyes. As Ethan waved him a simple greeting, Ekkisu felt a bit more loose and less angry at the moment, making him consider stepping aside and letting the man with his friend's face walk in.

"Ekkisu?" Zinnia's voice called from behind the Sceptile. "Who are you talking to?" She asked with a deflated tone, almost as if she was just concerned about Ekkisu's safety and not really interested in the person standing outside. That is until she got a glimpse of that long brown hair swinging to the side with a gush of wind. First, her legs almost gave out, it was like a scene from one of her dreams where Brendan would just show up on the door and greet her with a big smile. Then her chest flared up in heated anger because this is not a dream and Brendan did not have his long hair anymore, someone else did.

Seeing the dark-skinned girl stepping heavily in her way to the door, Spiegel shivered but remained steady. "Zinnia." He called her. "I know this is not what you wanted, but we need to tal-" Her right fist came flying from behind Ekkisu's left side, she practically jumped out of the house with a powerful uppercut slamming its way onto Spiegel's right cheek.

Getting hit so suddenly like that and with his body being weaker than before, the young doppelganger went flying down to the grassy ground, gasping loudly as his back crashed down heavily. Right then, in the most ridiculous and cinematic fashion, Zinnia leaped from her spot and landed with her bums on top of Spiegel's chest and her knees pressing against his arms, tightly pinning him on the ground.

The next hit was unconscious, her left hand just came flying from the side and slapping him so hard on his face that his head did an ugly bash against the ground. "How dare you show your face here?!" She yelled angrily, her right-hand curling into a fist and dangling dangerously above his face.

After getting hit on the face once and then slamming his head on the ground right after, Spiegel is having a hard time distinguishing what he can see and what is just a blob of shadow in his vision. "W-we need to talk!" He said in an erratic response, trying to free his hands and protect his face from any other punch, but the pressure of her legs is too much for him to do anything.

"Like I want to talk with you." She spat with a tingle of venom in her words. "You… You… He should not be the one gone, not when there is an impostor wearing his face." Gritting her teeth with the turmoil that she is right now, Zinnia pressed her lips, a new wave of tears appearing on her eyes. "That day… the one who should've gone-"

"Stop." Ethan grabbed her right hand, making Zinnia stop her words and look at him. "You don't want to go there, no matter how angry you are, that is still too far."

Zinnia lowered her head a little, her eyes getting hidden from everyone, her body shivering like a green twig against the wind. "Shut up…" She said weakly. "What you want here anyway?"

"He told you already, didn't he?" Ethan replied back. "He wants to talk with you."

She snorted, her emerald glowing eyes going back to Ethan and then down to Spiegel again. "Why would I ever talk with you again?"

"Because I want to bring Brendan back." Spiegel's words were short, pained and not very loud. Yet the strength and impact they had on her were more massive than the size of the once-great Sky Pillar. Zinnia fell into a deep, contemplative silence. She looked at him with a different kind of light in her eyes, not one of disgust as moments ago, but one of pure curiosity and hope. Seeing that she would not react until he gave something more, Spiegel continued. "But I can't do that alone, we can't." He pointed with his head to Ethan. "Zinnia… I know that looking at me is not easy and that we parted ways in horrible terms, but… I need your help. Please, work with us."

* * *

Landing on the outskirts of Littleroot town is never an easy task, doing so while ridding Lugia of all Pokémon is just a bombastic mess. To make matters slightly 'worse' Ethan had chosen a secluded spot deep in between large trees, but if only by chance one Professor Birch was right there at the moment doing his wild Pokémon studies and almost got squished to death by some falling trees.

Ever in high spirits and good mood, Birch didn't let his near-death experience shy his curiosity away. As soon as Ethan jumped into the ground, the old professor was all over him or more precisely all over Lugia. The silvered-bird did the unthinkable and pleaded with his eyes for Ethan to take this intruding man away, too bad for Lugia that Ethan has this borderline sadistic teasing nature to him, in the end, Lugia was left to 'fend' for himself, against the curious pokes and awe-struck gazes coming from the chubby man.

"Papa, are you okay?!" May's distressed voice echoed from behind the tree line.

"Professor? Are you here?" Following right closely by Wally's own voice.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head softly as he watched the hustling of leaves around the brushes. "He is here too. Quite the prediction you had there." He eyed his friend standing at his side.

"Be my fami… Brendan's family or May, Wally has too much that is dear to him in Littleroot. It is easy to see why he would spend his spare time here." Spiegel replied.

"Isn't she, your ex-girlfriend or something?" Ethan raised the question in a bit silly manner, but his gaze is as sharp as ever. "Don't you mind Wally being with her all the time?"

"W-What? O-Of course not. That is in the past, it has been so long. If they end up together, I will be happy for them." Rubbing his face with one hand to hide the red tint in his cheek, Spiegel casually looked away in his reply, but not missing the sly smirk he was getting from Ethan. "What?" He asked the golden-eyed boy.

"You backtrack at any mention of what 'is Brendan' and what are you. But so casually you admitted that you had something with her, even though that is not really true." Ethan saw his friend frown and motion to defend himself, so he just raised one hand to stop him. "I am not accusing you. It is only natural that you feel this way, in some way or another, you both are the same person. So, stop pushing yourself, no more 'his family', just embrace the fact that you are Brendan too."

Spiegel lost his blush but gained a deep look on his face as he turned to face Ethan again. He considered, frowned and then snorted. "That's easier said than done." He relented. "If I start 'taking' his role, even if it is to play along… How long until I start to get dumb ideas in my head again?"

"Scared of reverting to that need of being Brendan?" Ethan eyed him curiously.

Spiegel shook his head and sighed. "I'm scared of becoming like that Josh guy. He wanted so badly to be something that he was not, that he lost sight of what was right and what was wrong. Ethan, even I get pushed and shoves away by everyone, even by you. I don't want to… I will not become a monster."

A reassuring smile appeared on Ethan's lips, he walked closer to Spiegel and gave him a soft slap on his back. "You're not a monster, buddy. Neither will you become one. Someone who puts other people above their needs, they are nothing but a hero in my book."

Hearing that was so weird for Spiegel, weird but so comforting. He turned his gaze to the side, in a bit of a shy manner, the most innocent but glad smile ever shining on his face. "Thanks."

"Brendan!" May gasp echoed below the tree branches blocking the sky, her eyes widening quite a lot with the sight of the long-haired boy. "Oh…" This same ecstatic gaze followed down a trailed to his odd arm, it was impossible for her to hide her disappointment, which hurt the young doppelganger even if she did not intended to.

Wally quickly appeared from behind the green path of tall grasses, his eyes widening just as much as May's but instead of getting deflated with the quick realization of who this is, he looked even more happy than before. "Spiegel! Where in the hell have you been? We looked for you everywhere."

"Hiding…" Spiegel said curly. "Feeling too pathetic to get out of my room and feeling too ashamed of showing you how pathetic I am."

"Pathetic?" Wally gave him one odd look, followed by a scolding frown. "I understand taking your time to cope with all that mess, but feeling pathetic?" Changing his expression in a snap, the green-haired boy let his lips spread into a grin as he shook his head in playful disapproval. "You are too much of a Brendan… I swear. How come you two always feel like crap when you were the one saving everyone?"

"I agree with Wally." May stepped forward, any signs of her disappointment completely gone from her face. "Why do you two always tries to push everyone aside when you're hurting? We are your friends, friends can help heal this type of thing. We want to help you heal the hurting in your heart." She glanced at the young man at her side with a firm stance. "Right?"

Wally quickly nodded, taking his eyes back to Spiegel and getting very serious again. "That's right. I… feel especially responsible for you now, kinda. My friend had been hurting all this time and before I could make up my mind and help him… he was gone." His green-tea hair swings like soft feathers in the air as he slowly shook his head, biting his lips in deep emotional pain. "There's no way that I repeating the same mistake with you."

Feeling her own emotions resonate with Wally's words, his regrets; May brought one of her hands to his shoulders, taking back his full attention to her. She gave him one sad small smile, and that glint in her eyes showed him how much she feels the same way, that his mistake is one that she shares as well. "As Wally said. I don't want you escaping from our lives too, I won't accept it. Even if I have to lock you up in my house."

Wally chuckled, raising both hands up in the air. "I will not go that far, but I share the same sentiment."

Spiegel had made his mind to confront May and Wally, he had steeled his nerves for anything. Surely, he didn't expect either of them to lunge at him with fists trembling as Zinnia did, but any sort of resentment was more than expected in his mind. Imagine his shock when he found only the opposite. He has cried in front of them, share laughter and joy in the smallest of occasions and the silliest of talks. However, never in his dreams, he imagined Wally and May to share any kind of love for him, not for a freak like him.

"Goddammit…" Spiegel brought his light-grey hand to his face, rubbing his eyes with the soft inner side of his claw-like fingers. "Why are you two this nice to me?" Despite his best efforts, trying to hold in, one loud and long sob escaped his lips.

"Are you stupid?" Wally asked, a light frown taking over.

"It's maybe a Brendan thing?" May added with a giggle.

"We are your friends. Put that inside that thick-Brendan-head of yours." Wally stepped closer to Spiegel, punching him lightly on his chest and leaving his fist there. When Spiegel opened his eyes, he only saw his green-haired friend smiling warmly to him. "Don't forget about that."

Barely containing the happiness inside his chest, the blue and red eyes young trainer just nodded, giving back to Wally one sincere and grateful smile.

"That was so cute. Friends sure are the greatest treasure." Ethan waited for long enough, finally jumping in as the trio of friends locked themselves into a messy hug. "Can I count this situation as under control or you still need my help?" He asked the smiling doppelganger.

"It's okay… I will tell them." Spiegel replied, never leaving the clutches of May's and Wally's demanding hug.

"Fine by me. I will get our last member of this ragtag group, and then I will go to the meeting place." Ethan turned on his heels, raising one hand and waving to the other three. "I will try and get mister angry-eyes as quickly as I can. You try to be hasty yourself, Spiegel."

Taking away Professor Birch's happiest moment of the day, Ethan climbed once more on Lugia's wide back and took a flight to his next destination.

As the golden-eyed boy left, May and Wally parted themselves away from Spiegel, looking at him with inquisitive eyes.

"You came here to tell us something?" Wally asked.

"Maybe we should go to my house, we can talk properly there." May quickly suggested.

Before any of the two could drag him back to Littleroot, Spiegel pulled back and shook his head. "No, here is fine…" He said quietly but with a firm tone. "I came here to ask for your help."

May and Wally traded glances with each other, a little wary of why he was being so secretive about it, yet in the end, they nodded to one another and looked back to Spiegel.

"Ask away." Wally said.

"I want your help… I need you two to help me bring Brendan back."

They traded glances yet again, this time with wider eyes and racing hearts. May outright could not believe her ears as she looked between Spiegel and Wally, never more lost in her life. Wally was a little more composed but still shocked all the same. For the past month, they have been mourning Brendan's passing in secret, not having the courage to tell others what befell to their selfless hero. Now all of a sudden their entire world just flipped upside down. Spiegel wants to bring Brendan back.

Back from where? How he intends to do that? Has he lost his mind over grief? One current of thoughts flooded in, one wild flurry of guesses and ideas that will never stop flowing in overtook the young pair.

Just from their perplexed gaze alone, Spiegel has the notion that he will need to do a lot of explanation to shake them from their daze. On the bright side, at least he has their full attention now.

* * *

"Is this some sort of joke?" Were the first words flying out from Steven's mouth as soon as he entered the dimly lighted cave.

Ethan never sighed so heavily his entire life. He expected some kind of resistance on the other man's side, but Steven is starting to grind on his gears. Demanding answers at every minute, complaining that he has no time to be playing games and even stating very clearly his distaste of Ethan's company.

Contrary to some people's beliefs, or right on in their expectations, Ethan is not a patient person. Dealing with Steven is taking a lot more tact than he cares to have. "Can you please shut the hell up?" He finally snapped, snarling his words at the man walking behind him, only to make Steven scowl at him. "Just endure for a few more minutes, jeez. It would be a pain in my butt having to explain this more than one time, so just wait until we get to the others."

Steven was not happy, be with the reply he got from this annoying person or the fact that he got forced to come here. Still, there is this faint pull inside his chest telling him that even if Ethan was lying about what he said, all of this would be worth somehow. Grabbing to this feeling, Steven relented. He just took a deep breath and closed his mouth shut, pressing his lips into a thin line. Giving or taking any more words with this man would be useless and deeply infuriating, so he just led Ethan to guide them through the darkened and dump maze that is the Rainbow Rocket's ruined base at Lilycove City.

Splashing sounds echoed towards the dark paths of these hallways, each step making a louder noise as the puddles of mud and water seem to increase in size and frequency the farther they get in. Steven dared take a quick look at the flooded rooms surrounding them, heavy glass windows shattered with its shards peacefully floating like sparkling stars above those dark waters.

"What… happened here?" Steven asked, his words coming out on their own as he studied the damage around him.

"Brendan happened." Ethan replied with a twisted little smirk. "I found some footage of the time when Groudon wreak havoc on this place. Luckily, Giovanni is one careful bastard or a lot of people would have drowned down here."

A freezing jolt ran across Steven's body. He remembers the state he found Brendan here that day, the day he first lost his mental battle against Groudon. Strange as even a dark memory like this one brings a little warmth to his heart.

"We're here." Ethan said, getting Steven out of his daydream.

They both stopped in front of a large metallic door, different than the other rooms, this one is mostly intact; the door working perfectly fine in its slide motion and the two foggy windows at the wall on the side holding firm in their place.

Pressing the button on the box beside the door, Ethan opened their way in and walked inside. Steven followed closely, getting surprised by a whole group of people that were already in this room, most likely waiting for them.

Wally and May were easy enough to greet, as they just walked over to Steven and addressed him on their own volition. The red-haired boy named Silver just ignored Steven, for the most part keeping his gaze locked on Ethan. Zinnia, that was a complete failure, she just stared at him from her corner, holding closely the little pink ball that is the Whismur on her arms. If the look on those emerald eyes of hers is of any indication, she has little interest in talking with Steven. Now, as hard as it is to endure Zinnia, even on her best days, it pales in comparison to how he feels meeting the owner of those red and blue eyes.

Even after all this time, it is hard for Steven to believe that there is a 'copy' of Brendan in this world. If Brendan himself had no taken a little time to talk and explain to Steven what happened and who that was, the blue-haired scion would just think this entire thing was just one massive joke on his friend's part. Still, Spiegel is right here and looking at him. A shame that Steven cannot bring himself to look back at him.

This room is a wild contrast compared to the rest of the underground building. It is completely lit with bright lights, the floor is as white and clean as it was on the days it was being used, and most of the electronic equipment installed in here is in perfect condition, especially that massive flat monitor at the back wall which covers most of that side. The only sign that indicates that this is an abandoned place is the numerous office chairs scattered on the floor, probably by the crazed rush all the people working here had to get out before the flooding had begun.

"Everyone is here, right?" Zinnia was the first one to raise her voice as the heavy door closed them in. "Now you can stop being so dodgy and explain exactly what is floating inside that head of yours."

If attention, in general, was scattered around the room and its occupants, now every bit of spotlight is focused on Ethan. Being the way that he is, Ethan felt little to no difference with this overwhelming amount of attention, more correctly would be to point that he felt more at ease as everyone's gaze fell upon him.

Casually strolling inside the room, Ethan took one of the office chairs from the floor, brought it up to its four-wheeled legs and dragged it in front of a giant monitor resting at the wall opposite to the entrance. "I guess it is time." After taking his seat, Ethan fell in silence, but his hands waved all around in front of him. Took some time but everyone understood that he, in the apex of his weirdness, would not continue until everyone had taken a seat of their own.

"Listen… while you may not believe what I am about to tell you, please just leave the questions and comments to after I am done explaining this. Is that okay?" Ethan made sure to look at everyone even for a split second, then he waited.

"Sure, okay!" Zinnia snarled. "Just get going already."

"I swear… even If I am trying to help, the only thing I am getting today is a rude attitude and angry stares." Ethan started in a way that no one expected him to; he crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted.

"Ethan… please." Spiegel pleaded softly.

"Fine, I'm not doing this for myself anyway." Another shift in his mood and Ethan is back with his serious face yet again. He leaned forward in his seat and pressed his elbows against his thighs, both hands resting against his chin. "First, I want to make something very clear. Brendan is not dead."

A long round of gasps followed his words, not even Spiegel escaped the brunt of this unexpected news.

"Not dead? What do you mean with that?" Steven was the first one to truly raise his voice.

"Where is he?" Wally soon followed suit.

"Is he safe?" May asked too.

Ethan could not hold the urge to roll his eyes, just as he asked everyone to not do, they started bombarding him with questions the minute he shared that with them.

"Let him speak!" Zinnia said loudly. Despite how cool and collect her tone may have sound, her face is already a mess of doubt and hopes. She glared at everyone until they quieted down, and casually looked back at Ethan, pleading with her eyes for him to continue.

Which he gladly did. "Ignore the implication of this bit for a moment, but. I can travel within time. Something was off in the coming days after the battle against Giratina, I felt like an important piece to the puzzle was missing. I went back there, back to that day, just to discover that Brendan was not there."

Refraining from letting their voices out again, the group eyed Ethan with a suspicious frown. Even if they wanted to believe anything to see Brendan again, this talk of time travel was feeling a bit too far fetch for all of them, except for Spiegel and Silver.

"After going back further, I found out that Brendan was gone from every past. I watched people listen to nothing as he was not there to give his speech on Ever Grande. Groudon rampaging on this very beach of Lilycove, and Wally there fighting against the wind. It was like Brendan simply vanished from every moment he was in, but things played out exactly the same." Ethan rested his back against his seat, taking a deep breath after talking non-stop.

"What… What does that mean?" Zinnia was the one to ask this time.

"It means that when he used that orb to try and banish Giratina, its power grabbed onto Brendan. Affecting him, taking him in. Sealing him somewhere in time." He said with a saddened tone.

"This… theory of yours. If it is right, how do we fix it? How do we change it back?" Steven asked, his way of speaking with Ethan getting softer as the conversation goes along.

"It's not mine." Ethan replied with a short grin. "It's hers." He pointed with one finger toward the electronic panels attached to the giant monitor. As their eyes traveled to the side, everyone saw one small green onion head and two little round feet dangling at the edge of that square grey desk. "Celebi was the one that cracked the mystery. She is the one with the ability to travel through time, and I can't go very deep with her. She worked very hard to the point of exhausting herself just to find a small trace of Brendan, stuck inside the infinite ley lines."

" **Bi…"** Celebi greeted them with a soft cry, waving her little hands at everyone watching her.

"Well, as to how we fix this mess. That's why I called you all here." Pulling himself up, Ethan got out of his chair and walked over to Celebi. "Celebi explained to me that she can't reach Brendan, not in the way he is now. But she can lure him to us, guiding him into that infinite space until he breaks through the barriers and comes back to this dimension."

"How would they be able to help with that?" Silver surprisingly enough decided to take part and talk, he crossed his legs and folded his arms on his chest, giving Ethan one fair but critical gaze. "Save for her and the long-haired one there, we are all normal people. We can't connect with Pokémon as you do."

"It's quite simple actually." Ethan replied, walking away from the panels and over to Spiegel in his seat. "When I ask Celebi to take me somewhere, we use my memories as triggers. The concept we found this time is almost the same, using the strongest memories of those closest to Brendan, we will reach to him and pull him back to us." Right then a wide smile crossed his face as he clasped both hands on Spiegel's shoulders. "That would be almost impossible, seeing as we don't have Brendan's body here, for us reach to him. Thankfully we have Spiegel, that in many ways works as a mirror of Brendan."

A pondering silence washed over the room. As much craziness as this all sounded to them, they all had this glint of hope in their eyes. What Ethan shared with them is nothing short of amazing, like a ray of sunshine scaring away the grey clouds that have been plaguing their lives for a month. Still, even in their euphoric realization that Brendan might be so close to them, one lingering question was left in the air.

"How is Brendan coming back?" Zinnia asked. "If we are using… 'his' body to reach for Brendan, what will happen when he comes back?"

Zinnia only voiced the doubt that everyone else had, but even if they all were thinking about it, they couldn't help but look at Spiegel with a conflicted gaze.

Spiegel sighed, then smiled. "The most likely scenario, he will be back in my body and I will just disappear."

"And you are okay with that?" Zinnia asked in genuine curiosity, no ill-intention in her words.

However, the punch she gave him earlier is till bruising the skin of his cheek and more than a grazing mark on his face, it left a ringing sensation of her distaste toward him. Taking her words as a cynical remark at him, Spiegel just snorted and smiled at her. "Why wouldn't I? This is the best outcome, right? Brendan gets to be back, you have him with you once again and the freak is gone forever. A perfect win, isn't it?"

For days now Zinnia has been an unstable mess of emotions, she gets sad quickly and starts crying; then with the same volatility, she gets furious out of her mind. When it involves Spiegel, she mostly gets angry, it is not truly at him, but more the fact that seeing him reminds her of Brendan and she gets angry at everything because he was taken away from her.

Right now, knowing what Ethan just shared with them. Zinnia doesn't feel the same type of anger she felt before, even if it is hard for her to show anything else but a frown to the people around her. She knows that she had hurt Spiegel, more than in a physical way, and hearing that coming out from his mouth only makes her feel even worse about it. She had to avert her gaze away from him, cuddling her arms and pressing her face against the soft body of Aster, to hide away the immense regret eating her from the inside.

"Don't spout that stupid crap again!" Wally yelled as loudly as he could, his voice even bounced on the walls and echoed on top of itself. "No one wants you gone, and if the price of doing this is losing Spiegel… I don't think I can be a part of it."

"Calm down everyone, no one is disappearing." Ethan made sure to raise his voice above all the others, his hold on Spiegel's shoulders getting tighter, the young doppelganger noticing the hesitation on Ethan's part as he shouted those words. "I don't know what will happen, no one knows." He sighed deeply once more, pulling himself away from Spiegel.

Still a bit dazed and overall conflicted about what to do, the people gathered inside this little room just watched Ethan in silence as the golden-eye guardian walked to the center of the room and fiddled with something inside his pocket.

"Ho-oh, if any of you are familiar, is a powerful deity watching over Johto and Kanto. But, there is one legend about the golden phoenix that still lives in people's beliefs." Ethan carefully brought his hand out of his pocket, showing a bright rainbow-colored feather resting within his fingers. "Ho-oh, the phoenix of miracles. If the lord over the skies graces you with one of his feathers; any wish you may have will become true." He held the precious little thing close to his face, closing his eyes as he did so. "Ho-oh gave me this on the day we went to fight Giratina. He said to me that only one big miracle would make everything go back to normal. I believe he foresaw this somehow and gave his blessings for this very moment. I only ask that you believe in me because I believe we will be able to bring Brendan back."

"I believe…" Spiegel said in a hush between his breath. "If you're the one saying that this will make everything better again. Then I will trust you."

"I do too." Zinnia said calmly, her eyes tingling with droplets of tears threatening to slid down to her cheeks. "I want everyone to be happy and safe… Everyone." She made sure to look at Spiegel as she said the last part, her words reaching deep inside of him. A small gesture of kindness, like any other gesture coming from her, has a heavy impact on his entire being.

"Hoenn has spent too much time without its champion." Ethan said with a sheepish grin. "Let's bring Brendan back."

* * *

For the past twenty minutes that small white room, deep within the ruins of Rainbow Rocket base, has been nothing short of a huge agitated mess. People running everywhere as they tried to accommodate an appropriate space for this… thing they need to do. By Ethan's orders, they gathered every chair and placed them on the other side of the room, most of them resting against the front wall.

After doing every little change they could to make things easier, Ethan made Spiegel lay on the floor at the center; Steven helped him settle down and even took off his grey coat to serve as a pillow to the red-blue eyed boy. Spiegel who was feeling like his heart was about to explode in agitation, felt the little body of Celebi landing at his chest and just like that his consciousness faded away, making his chest go a lot slower and smother in its breathing motion, a deep sleep taking him in seconds.

"Now what… we just wait?" Asked a worried Steven, his gaze focused on the sleeping face of the boy next to him.

"We wait, yeah. But, not in complete darkness." Ethan took one of the chairs and against what he said before, dragged the thing all the way over to the giant monitor. "Celebi and I spent too many days investigating the past, I would never be able to travel so much, it would kill me. Then we devised something to let me see the events without going to the past myself." Getting way too comfortable in this place, Ethan sat down on his chair and brought both feet up, resting them against the darkened panels. "Please, put us in Celebi."

" **Bi, Bi!"** After some **e** xcited and affirmative little squeals, Celebi closed her eyes and her little antennas began to twitch and dangle, little sparks of light coming out of her. Then, the dark monitor flared up to life, showing nothing more than an endless stream of white.

"We will be watching everything?" May asked with an awe-struck expression.

"We already are." Ethan pointed to the screen. "Right now, Spiegel is sharing his senses with Brendan. That is what Brendan is seeing. But I don't know what is all that white stuff, though."

" **The infinite ley lines."** Celebi corrected her friend. **"That is the flow of time, where he is stuck."**

"Oh…" Ethan looked at the screen with some fascination, just forgetting one tiny bit.

"They didn't hear her." Zinnia jumped in, making Ethan look at her and show a stupid little grin. Zinnia shook her head and sighed. "She said that this white thing is where Brendan is stuck, some sort of infinite lines or whatever."

"Ley lines!"

" **Ley lines!"**

Both Ethan and Celebi corrected her this time.

"Now, everyone to your seats. I don't know if you will pass out or not by letting Celebi interact with you so directly." Ethan commanded from his chair, as always liking a bit too much the fact that he is bossing people around.

One by one, they have chosen their sits around the room. Wally next to May close to the door. Steven at the corner of the wall by himself with his arms crossed. Zinnia at the left side with Aster sitting at her lap and Silver just standing at his own corner at the right side.

"Since only one of you can understand Celebi, I will be the one guiding you on the first steps, okay?" Warned the golden-eyed boy, seeing Steven slight discomfort at it, just made Ethan wink at him and smile. "You will feel a soft pull, line a gentle string moving your thoughts. Don't fight it."

Following his narration, faint glowing lines suddenly appeared from everyone's body. A thin sparkling string going out from their chest and slowly drifting down to Spiegel's unconscious form.

"With the link, your memories will fight you a little bit. Don't push it away. Celebi is drawing your strongest experiences, the one with enough connection to your very soul that defines you as a person now. These will be the blocks from which we will build a bridge for Brendan."

From every little line connecting Steven, May, Wally, and Zinnia to Spiegel a small burst of light came through. Four glowing balls, sparkling glittering white dust on the floor, slowly traveled in their path, following the string until they just dropped onto Spiegel's chest and vanished inside of him.

Even in his sleeping form, Spiegel gritted his teeth, his body jolting upward in a violent motion, his fingers curling into a ball and making a fist. A raging outburst took over him, making him trash on his spot, scaring everyone around him. As Steven was preparing to jump from his chair and throw himself at Spiegel's side, the young doppelganger calmed down. His face softened up, his hands loosing up and resting freely on the floor again. Whatever reason caused him so much stress and pain disappeared as fast as it came to be.

Watching the first drops of color tint the screen in front of him, Ethan rested his head against the chair support. He could not hide the child-like anticipation for this, and as the first clear figures began to appear, he smiled. "I wonder who will be the first?"

* * *


	38. Stronger Than Words

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _It feels a bit strange to say this but... just two more to go._

* * *

**Xenoblade OST - Thoughts to a Friend _======= (_** **_watch?v=u4z6v55p_tw )_ **

* * *

**"** _**Beautiful like a lovingly painted canvas."** _

These words flashed upon his mind, like a powerful trigger, reigniting his senses and himself as a whole. It felt like ages since Brendan had taken a single breath, ages since his heart pumped blood through his veins; it was like he was waking up after an entire life of rest. Slowly, a bit dizzy, he stirred from his spot trying with great effort to open his eyes.

A burning-like sting flared upon the motion, the duo colored gems finally opening themselves up to stare at a the blank-like existence showed itself in front of them. After glancing at the infinity of white surrounding him, Brendan gasped ever so quietly, the small ring of his voice echoing all around him, making his senses jump on to his own voice repeating itself over and over again.

" _Where am I?"_ His question was met not with an answer but with a choir of the same words, repeating itself once more, echoing from side to side seemingly unending, then disappearing as if had never existed.

" _ **Beautiful like a lovingly painted canvas."**_

This time Brendan could truly experience the flowing of this sentence. It was powerful, shaking the entire white void around him, giving it small tints of color and faint silhouettes of shapes. Like the first time, his entire being got pulled forward toward an unknown destination, aimlessly traveling like a loose-leaf against the wind.

" _ **Beautiful like a lovingly painted canvas."**_

Letting go for a moment of the overwhelming pull dragging his body, Brendan's eyes widened at the realization that struck him. This voice, the owner of this sweet and gentle voice, he knows who it is.

"May?" He said in a rushed whisper.

As the words left his mouth, they acted as a catalyst to an entire chain of events. His traveling body came to a full halt, harshly and sudden. Any echo that was embracing Brendan's senses got replaced by a deafening silence and from within his chest, a piercing light came to life, touching the white gloom in its way and shattering the neutrality of color.

With a woosh as strong as a windblast, Brendan felt the world around him change, simply explode in a colorful spring of green as trees appeared everywhere and a world mirroring his own came to life in mere moments.

Gravity finally made itself real once more, forcing Brendan's feet down on the ground, a vivid grassy ground surrounded by life and color. Making contact with the earth was strange in a funny way, it felt weird and light to be standing up once again, his legs throbbing a bit as he tried to walk and explore this new place.

It was then that his eyes traveled down just to get a surprising sight. His legs were a lot thinner and smaller than before, not only that but the small shorts donning his skin is showing a whole lot more of his paleness that what he remembers. Noting these strange changes, little by little, he noticed that it was not his pale skin that is showing too much, it is May's.

Jerking his back in a startled jolt, Brendan almost went down to the ground as it finally dawned on him that somehow, someway, he is inside May's body; a teen-May to be more precise.

"Seriously… where am I?" Brendan glanced to his slim feminine hands, his eyes studying the smaller shape of his 'own' arms, leaving him in utter confusion.

From nowhere, a cold jolt ran through his mind, robbing him of the fleeting control he had over this body. Still inside of the girl he knew ever since childhood, Brendan was forced to be just a spectator as May got up straight on her feet and pulled out a small notepad from her large side bag pack.

"Hm… where are they now?" May's own gentle voice came out from her mouth as she wandered around the small forest with her keen eyes watching every little corner.

Brendan watched through her eyes as May went in her little search; poking some tall grasses, observing some wild Pokémon while writing all down in her little notepad. While it feels utterly strange to live this on her shoes, it also brings a warm sensation on him. Watching May wander around, smiling happily at each little discovery… Brendan never had the chance to see this side of her.

'They look so cute.' May smiled watching two Wurmple chasing after one another. This inner thought flooded into Brendan's head, showing that not only her spoken words but also her inner musings were making their way to him.

From the corner of her eye, one small furry-brown figure got May's attention. A Zigzagoon, curiously staring at her while holding an oran-berry in his little claws. Maintaining full eye contact with her, the Zigzagoon slowly inched closer and closer to his treat, making very little movements as he nibbled at the fruit and chewed on it while watching the girl in front of him.

"Look at you, aren't you the cutest thing ever." She giggled at the wary little creature, clearly famished for his fruit but too scared of giving it his full attention and lose his sight of her. From her years of study in this area, May has learned how wary these wild little creatures are and how fascinating it is to watch them; this part may be something that she got from her father. Making sure that she kept a safe distance from him, May crouched quietly and began to write every little bit of detail she could get from this Zigzagoon, the striped brown Pokémon just continued to watch her as he nibbled slowly at his berry.

It has been so long, such a long time since Brendan had even given a little attention toward May. Ever since their harsh break-up, he could never get her away from his mind, but he could never look properly at her. Watching May now, so quietly at bliss in her research, it was like opening his eyes for the first time to the true May he had forgotten deep inside his memories.

Scribbling small sounds came from the notepad, the pale girl carefully pacing her pencil changing her focus from the paper to the Pokémon and them back to the paper. As before, Brendan was just a first-person witness, seeing 'his' hands move with impeccable perfection as a vivid drawing of that Zigzagoon was coming to life in that blank white space. Seeing how skilled May is at this is almost mesmerizing to him, how so effortlessly she is bringing even the smallest details of that Pokémon to the portrait she is making.

Entranced by the strange behavior of the person in front of him, the Zigzagoon laid his little fruit to his side for a moment and to May's surprise, trailed closer to her.

May stopped her moving fingers, leaving her drawing missing small touches on the face part. She laid the notepad to the side and moved her right hand forward, leaving her palm wide open to the touch. Still wary and ever vigilant, Zigzagoon took his time to approach properly, but when he finally reached her, he brought his little pawn to her hand and curiously ran the tip of his little claw on the soft of her skin.

She giggled at the tickling feeling, slowly bringing her other hand to the back of the small Pokémon, making sure to not startle him as she first touched him. As her fingers grazed his fuzzy but a bit dirtied fur, the Zigzagoon purred, now both of his forward pawns laying on her hand.

"You're quite friendly when you're not suspicious, huh?" May looked down at the small brown Pokémon, her voice making him look upwards to her. "My name is May and I like to study wild Pokémon in their own habitat. Do you mind sharing some more time with me?" She asked and waited, soon her response came as a suspicious low growl and some more tickling with the pointy part of some small claws.

With the same methodic movements as when he was nibbling his berry, the Pokémon slowly and carefully began to climb over to her leg; ever so curious to get to know this stranger better but also wary of her presence. May just stood there quietly and patiently waiting for her acquaintance to make his choice.

But just as Zigzagoon was properly helping himself up to the girl's leg, a bombastic rustling of leaves startled him. Giving out a loud cry, the brown Pokémon jumped away from May and ran as fast as he could to his berry; after getting his fruit back he darted hastily inside the sea of tall grasses.

May felt strongly disheartened at the sudden end of that exchange. She was bonding so nicely with a wild Pokémon in a way she has never done before, but it faded as quickly as that noise came. She darted a glare to the rustling bushes at the side, but her annoyance promptly changed to an innate curiosity.

'I wonder what made so much noise all of a sudden.' She thought to herself, making Brendan chuckle at her lack of caution.

Taking her notepad back on her hand, she got up to her feet, turned on her heels and skipped over to the moving bushes.

"Hello…" She whispered beneath her breathing so quietly that it was hard for even her to hear it. "Any scary or interesting Pokémon in there?" She pushed both arms inside the green curtain and spread them open to poke in with her head. Getting a look at the scene on the other side, her eyes sparkled like two gems sitting on the beach.

Brendan felt himself sucking in his breath, even if could not properly control May's body, it was like this moment changed that bit. He saw something that he would never expect, a group of Pokémon happily playing together and a teenage boy sitting in the middle, smiling away with his friends. He saw himself, surrounded by his Pokémon friends.

"Hahaha, that was the best." His younger self laughed hard and loud, waving one arm above his head, holding his belly with the other one. "Your face… hahah, the look on your face was the best." He pointed to the small Treecko standing in front of him and laughed even louder.

The Treecko, however, was not in a laughing mood as his trainer was, oh no he wasn't. Pouting heavily as a thin line of mud ran down his green cheek, the little Pokémon stomped a foot on the ground and darted inside one of the bushes, quickly running out with one of his hand hiding behind his back. Running at the full speed of his little legs, he jumped toward his trainer and hurled a large mudball at the boy's face.

A wet splashing sound erupted from the impact, quieting down young Brendan's hearted laughter. "Ekkisu, what the hell?!" Brendan screeched as half of his face got covered with mud, he frowned and jumped on his feet. "I said no return! You can't do that when I say no return."

Ekkisu folded both arms against his chest, growling something to his trainer and then looking to the side. Whatever Ekkisu said heavily grinded on the boy's nerves, as Brendan went from laughing, to upset, to fuming with a red face.

"That's it! You're up for it." Said the teenager as he jumped forward and tackled his Pokémon on the ground. Pokémon and trainer rolled against the grass, slapping each other in their heated friendly spat.

A worried Taillow hovered over them, chirping loudly to get their attention, while a shy Ralts and a Murkrow stood on the sidelines quietly laughing while the other two went at it against each other.

Watching his younger-self getting down on the ground and trading slaps with his Pokémon made Brendan laugh, at least internally. He still remembers all the small fights he would constantly get with Ekkisu, some even ending in a physical contest like this one. Right then, Brendan noticed the inner giggles of May's thoughts reach to him.

'Brendan is so weird sometimes. I never saw someone get into a real fight against their Pokémon, but I never saw someone be so close to their Pokémon as he is either.' Her face got a lot warmer as she stared at the silly boy rolling on the grass. To anyone else that would watch this, the scene would be at least ridiculous, to some even troublesome that a trainer would go that far with their Pokémon friends. But to May, a different picture painted itself on the glow of her eyes.

She saw a rainbow-colored place, filled with love and joy. In her eyes, Brendan and his team were like a close family; cozy, warm and safe, despite the little spar going at the moment. To her, this felt like the perfect relationship someone could possibly share with their Pokémon, a beauty that she has never found before, something so special that felt…

" _ **Beautiful like a lovingly painted canvas."**_

* * *

"I always thought it was weird for Brendan to literally spar with his Pokémon… Now I know how that started." Wally snorted, shaking his head to push the incoming laughs away. "He just wanted to slap his Sceptile on the face."

May giggled at Wally side. The pale-skinned girl is covering her face with a faint little blush on her cheeks. "That… was strange to see." She said calmly, her eyes focused on the now turning white monitor. "It was like watching a normal TV show, but…"

Steven nodded at her words, the blue-haired scion having a pensive look on his face. "But the TV show is about Brendan's memories." He said sternly.

"Incorrect." Ethan jumped in, an amused smiled parting his lips away. "Those are YOUR memories about him." He turned his chair around and looked over to May, his golden gaze making her even more conscious and shy about what they just watched. "That was very cute, you have one adorable way of seeing the world."

May now blushed heavily, burying her face against her hands. "I-I… that was just a young girl's colored views on the boy she likes." She gasped a little, her gaze traveling to the firm emerald gaze coming from the tanned girl. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that…" One firm hand pressed at her arm, as Wally made his presence known in his warm support.

Zinnia held her gaze on the other girl for a little longer, then looked back to the blank monitor. "I agree with you." She said calmly. "That was beautiful, even if watching through some flat screen… that was truly beautiful. Thank you, for sharing such precious memory."

For being Brendan's ex-girlfriend and knowing a bit of the heated personality of the other girl, May expected at least one or two crooked words coming her way after that little session. Zinnia had shown a fit of jealousy before and was an ugly sight to see, which only colored May's surprise even more when Zinnia gave her a sincere and grateful smile.

A small sting came to her eyes as she smiled back to the other girl, one or two tears managing to slid down at this moment. She felt a strange comfort at that smile like she was being cleared of something heavy that she shouldn't have carried. Looking to her side and seeing Wally smile brightly himself, only pushed May to let her urges win and begin to cry softly. Not a single tear filled with sadness or grief, but stead warmed with relief.

"Look, it's starting again." Ethan commented as the screen began to flicker with different colors. He turned his chair back to face the monitor, leaning back and waiting eagerly. The golden-eyed Guardian is enjoying this way more than he should, but is not like the 'should' or 'should not' ever stopped him anyway.

* * *

" **A dazzling beacon of light, a light that brings us all hope."**

Brendan felt his consciousness spring back to life once more, slowly reawakening after a sudden fade out to oblivious white. The transition this time working twice as fast and smoother than the first one, as the lifeless void of white surrounding him began to disappear after the first ring of another voice calling out to him.

With the flicker of images, his world instantly changed to an early morning dressed with the scent of the sea. Stuck in his spectator mode since the start, his gaze could only focus on what these pair of eyes are set upon; the sight of a quiet ocean-side road with autumn leaves making a small wall between him and the open space of the area in front of him.

'Wait a minute…' Brendan frowned internally, his mind registering the landscape in front of him, this suspicious bush in front of him and the unmistakable smell of salt waters crashing against stones. 'This can't be it, right?'

He dreaded an idea, forcing his eyes down in a herculean struggle just to get the glance of a sophisticated yet simple black vest with metallic ends at the sleeves.

'STEVEN!' Brendan yelled in an inner rage. He almost instantly recognized the feeling of having an adult body again and the eerie sensation that this place brings to him, making very easy to pinpoint which of his friends he is right now.

A controlled chuckled escaped the blue-haired scion, his heart beating with a certain expectation as his knees cried with an uncomfortable sting from being crouched for so long. "There he is!" Steven himself said in a low triumphant cry. "This may just work."

'Don't you dare, Steven!" In a desperate struggle, Brendan tried to pull back the body he is in now, but Steven didn't even move an inch, nor did his sinister grin. 'I swear if you pull this crap again… STOP THIS ALREADY!'

Brendan's fears only worsened as Steven's eyes locked in the visage of Brendan's younger self, so obliviously walking into a trap, so happily treading to a terrible event.

"Haha… He doesn't suspect a thing." Steven whispered to himself, quietly rustling his way inches forward, his grin turning into a full-blown creepy smile.

'RUN AWAY, ME! RUN!' Brendan cried out loudly in his thoughts, practically a ghost of himself jumped out in the air, pointing to the other side of this stretching road. It was of no use, no one could hear him, especially his happy looking, whistling, innocent younger-self. This was the moment; Brendan knew as soon as Steven began to move and so he screamed inwards again. 'Noooo!'

"GOOD DAY TO YOU, BRENDAN!" Steven jumped out of the orange bushes, his voice storming out as his arms swing high into the air.

The poor teenage boy jumped as high as a house, his hair spiking up with the electric jolts running through his body and his eyes practically popping out of their sockets. "AAAHHH!" Brendan screamed in terror, his butt flying to the ground as he fell quite a few paces away from where he stood. This little surprise got him so out of guard that his heart is threatening to jump out from his chest, making a violent urge to puke bother his insides as he glares at the smiling man.

Rejoicing the success of his plans, Steven chuckled at the boy. "You look a bit pale, is something wrong?" He teased his smaller friend, knowing full well what made Brendan get that sick look on his face.

"S-S-Steven!" Young Brendan shouted out as he spat to the side. "W-What… W-When… The hell were you doing inside those bushes?!"

"Oh, that?" Steven said in a pompous manner. "I was just passing by and saw you in a glance. Then I thought to myself; there goes Brendan, what a lovely coincidence bumping into him here." Adult Brendan never bought that excuse even on the day it happened, but now he knows for sure that Steven was hiding inside those bushes, and for a long time if the aching feeling in his knees is to be trusted.

"M-My heart… almost stopped beating, jeez." Brendan plopped down with his back on the ground. "Couldn't you just have called me from a distance, instead of jump-scaring the air out of my lungs?"

Steven must have some degree of acting teachings because the baffled look on his face, paired with the small apologetic smile could fool anyone that is not able to see what's going inside his head. "Pardon my silliness, didn't even cross my mind to call out to you."

'Liar…' Brendan rolled his eyes internally; he can feel how ecstatic his long-time friend is feeling right about now.

"Sure… I don't mind." Younger Brendan picked himself up from the ground, walking to the sandy path next to the water to grab his white hat that went flying in his jump. "How are you doing? Something you want to talk with me about?"

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk with you about multiple things." Steven replied in a sterner manner, dropping his playful grin for a moment. "After much thought and one grueling, seemingly unending, discussion with my fellow members of the League, I've decided to step down as the Champion."

"No way!" Brendan shouted in his surprise. "You're the best trainer I ever battled against, there's no one better to be the Champion."

A good-spirited laugh escaped the blue-haired champion, he was never someone to brag about his skills as a trainer or neither care for reassurances coming from others. But hearing that young trainer speak about him with a sparkle in his eyes felt a lot warmer than what he expected. "The League had the same opinion as you do, but after so many years holding that title… I think it is time for me to step down and pursue my other passions." Steven saw the deflated look on the boy's eyes, how upset he was feeling about the news. Once more, leaving the veteran trainer with a cozy feeling in his chest. "No need to worry about my replacement, I do have a candidate that is way better than me. Or at least, he will be in time."

Young Brendan eyed his older friend with a quirked brow; and if the look on his face says something is that he is hardly convinced by this replacement thing. "Yeah…" He puffed out in a fake disinterested way, not really convincing Steven with his act. "Who will be the new Champion?"

A devious little smirk spread over Steven's features. He tapped his lower lip with one finger, taking his gaze to the quiet crashing waves at the side. "Glad you asked that, Brendan. This ties in perfectly with the second thing I needed to talk with you about." A lingering silence remained for a moment, giving a sneak peek to the boy behind him, Steven smiled at the ultra-focused attention he is getting out of his little dramatic pause. 'I wonder what he is thinking right now.' He mused to himself at this moment.

'Nothing close to what you're about to tell me.' Brendan replied in his inner thoughts. He remembers having a mental marathon inside his mind all those years ago, from who would possibly stand in Steven's place if his friend would go out to the world as he talked about so many times before.

"Brendan, I want you to be my replacement on the League." Steven said turning to face his friend again, his expression has never been as serious as it is now. "I want you to be the next Champion of Hoenn's Pokémon League." Heavy waves crashed against the small cliff, making a dazzling curtain of colors behind Steven as his words left his mouth, this scene paired together with the weight of that sentence, left young Brendan in a complete daze, with agape mouth and wide-open eyes.

"N-No…" Brendan quietly stuttered his words out, the content behind his hallow sentence making Steven raise an eyebrow in concern. "Steven, there is no way I'm good enough to be the Champion."

Seeing the younger trainer stumble in his words with his face burning red while desperately finding any reasoning behind this, made Steven relax and lose the growing concern that was building inside of him. If this is only about the lack of confidence in his skills, surprisingly enough for one so talented in this age, then Steven would have nothing to be afraid of; he would just need to give his young friend a little push.

"You were good enough to beat me." Steven said with a quick wink.

"Totally different. Winning a battle is one thing, being the one standing on top of Hoenn's League… That's too much." Brendan tried to deflect the reply in a rushed manner, the boy shaking his head vividly in his response.

'Any other would be jumping with joy for being chosen, but look at him… legs trembling with the idea standing so high.' Steven smiled to himself, a warmer look taking place in his features. 'That's why I think you're perfect for this.'

"No one will force you to do anything you don't want, Brendan." Steven approached his smaller friend, settling one of his hands on the boy's shoulders. "But I believe you're more than capable for this role. You helped me avert one big crisis, saved Hoenn more than once… And more importantly, you were able to impress Drake." Steven laughed at the little joke at the end, earning him a funny look from the boy. "What? Impressing Drake is not an easy feat."

"It can't be harder than stopping a meteor from crashing onto the planet." Brendan replied back in a playful tone, finally joining Steven in the more relaxed manner of speaking.

"You clearly don't know Drake well enough." Steven said with the most serious of faces, which clearly didn't last long enough as soon he was snorting and then bursted into a fit of laughter.

Loosing up a bit after the shock of those news, Brendan also began to laugh, the boy began to reconsider everything in a new light. He admired Steven to a certain degree, that only grew when he discovered that the strange man who was guiding him everywhere was the Grand Champion of Hoenn. If Steven believed in him, he would not refuse that offer.

Older Brendan's thoughts began to merge for a moment with Steven's own current flowing in his mind. Not only the words coming in but also the sensation and feeling that are swirling inside his chest.

'You will be the best Champion Hoenn has ever had, Brendan.' Steven thought to himself, looking at the smiling boy in front of him. 'Even so young you served as inspiration for many, myself included. A brilliant trainer and a courageous soul.'

Little fragments of memories from their little adventure together flashed through Steven's eyes, consequently doing the same to the adult Brendan 'inside' of him. The small silly talks, their battle against Team Magma, the maddening rush that was that episode with Rayquaza. Throughout everything, this boy was like a steadfast pillar for him, for everyone. A powerful source of safety that helped clear Hoenn from its darkened clouds.

'You are like a bright star, young Brendan.' Steven mused with a huge smile on his lips. **"A dazzling beacon of light, a light that brings us all hope."**

"What was that?" Young Brendan asked his friend, once more eying the older man with a curious expression.

Steven must have been deep inside his own musings to let that slip past his lips, but still, it was truthfully how he feels about the boy. "Would you like to take a stroll with me? There is much more I want you to see before we get you on the League's halls."

Brendan nodded with a bright smile on his lips. "Sure, I never say no to a new adventure."

* * *

"My trust in him was not misplaced." Steven commented with a highly proud tone in his voice, his gaze still fixated on the now fading images on the screen. Then he closed his eyes in an amusing contemplation and chuckled. "Brendan is the best Champion Hoenn has ever had."

A muffled snort surprised the blue-haired scion after he let his feelings slip past his mouth. It was Wally that had failed to contain the noise inside of him, who right then decided to speak up as well. "Maybe he is a little too good on his role." Said the green-haired Gym Leader, his moving arms giving a little more weight to his words. "I remember the number of complaints the entire League got when Brendan assumed the title of Champion and nobody got even close to beating him." Wally snorted again, this time a short laugh escaping him as well. "To this day there are people complaining that an unbeatable Champion is unfair to every trainer in the region."

"Excellence should not be punished nor should incompetence be rewarded." Steven announced with a heavy frown, his words sounding harsh and annoyed. "What annoys me the most about this whole deal, is the implication that it was all good and easy when I was the Champion." He puffed air out of his nostrils, folding both arms in front of his chest. "There were only a few trainers who bested me in battle, I have you know."

"One or a thousand, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you lost eventually, thus people believe to be a possible feat." Once again, to everyone's surprise, Zinnia raised her voice and interacted with them.

A bit took back by having her addressing him, Steven just eyed the tanned girl for a moment and then groaned heavily. "Shut up…" He said, gazing to the side in a bit of a child-like fit.

The less stoic people present all began to laugh at the exchange, with the loudest being Wally and May, with Zinnia letting out a few giggles. This reaction only making Steven get his face tinted with red and his frown to deeper.

"What?" Steven asked the owner of the penetrating golden gaze locked on him.

In an absurd conception, Ethan was not laughing with the rest of them, instead, the brazen Champion was glaring at Steven with a focused gaze, and almost frightening one. "How long did you wait for Brendan in that bush?" Ethan asked in the most serious and genuine manner, despite the silliness of his question. After getting just a grunt out of Steven, he pressed on it again. "Seriously, how long?"

"Does it really matter?" Steven asked back, to which the raven-haired boy nodded quite feverishly. He groaned again, resting one hand against his face. "O-One… One hour."

Now even Zinnia was laughing harder than she wanted, the entire room getting engulfed with a thunderous chorus of the other three. Silver was quietly observing the scene unfold with a small smile on his lips, while Ethan was still the face of seriousness as he stared at Steven.

"Wow… That's quite the commitment to a prank." Ethan's eyes sparkled with a bright glow of inspiration, his low nodding showing that he was mentally noting that one for himself. "Nice." He gave Steven one cool 'thumbs-up', a thin line of a grin forming on his lips only to make the others laugh even harder.

Wally was the first to notice the flickering happening at the massive monitor, the subtle change of colors caught his eyes, and the visage of a small pink petal lazily falling down forced him to stop laughing.

'I got a bad feeling about this.' He though as more and more petals began to appear, forming the beautiful pink rain that still plagues his mind to this day.

" **I hate you… Brendan."** Wally's voice echoed from within the monitor, the ring of his tone ringing around the dancing petals, the words carried by it made everyone stop laughing and look right back at him.

"Okay… This isn't as bad as it may look." He raised both hands in the air in a defensive manner, still, everyone had their gazes frozen on him, making the green-haired boy get a sinking feeling in his guts. 'At least… I hope so.'

* * *

**Xenoblade Chronicles OST - Agniratha, Mechonis Capital ===== (** **watch?v=Jln_KBWFvfw )**

* * *

" **I hate you… Brendan."** Wally's voice echoed around Brendan, he felt those words on the inside like one violent storm. The sentiment behind this declaration was real and powerful, at least it was how it feels to him as his body glides hastily to another scenery.

'Wally…' Brendan called out to that name inside his mind. His first real friend, his first rival and the person he knew the least now after so many years. After the recent events of this year, Brendan learned his place and guilt about the ruined relationship he has with Wally. It pains him to admit, but even his clone cherished the young green-haired man more than Brendan has ever done.

An explosion of pink flourished in front of Brendan's eyes. The familiar sweet scent of flowers invaded his senses as Ever Grande's famous and astonishing sea of flowers spread all over in a wave of colors, taking hold of the scenery with its grace.

Right then, Brendan saw it again. His reflection, his past self, a younger Brendan standing on the other side of the giant garden; but this once his image was different, more twisted and perverted than Brendan himself remembers.

'Wally… is this how you see me?' He asked in a small shock. It doesn't matter how long it has passed or how different Brendan may have grown up to be. That evil-sarcastic grin on his younger self is not his, those eyes full of malice are not his and it troubles him that his once-close friend sees him like that.

"As I promised, Brendan. I became a lot stronger, I forced myself to be stronger." Wally stepped forward, walking at a slow pace towards his friend. "On the final steps of the Victory Road, I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle."

His entire body is shaking; shaking with anticipation, shaking with fear. He has been chasing around his friend's shadow for so long, doing everything to get his attention, but… Yet, this time Wally feels that will be different, it has to be. 'I trained so much for this moment, today I will be able to…' He brought one hand into the pocket of his pants and pulled his first Poké-Ball out, there he called for one of his Pokémon; his Roselia. With a huge smile on his lips, Wally waited in the middle of the giant garden for his friend to make his move.

Brendan came to the challenge, seeing his friend walking closer made the young green-haired trainer beam with happiness. He would do anything to get acknowledged by the boy who inspired him so much.

"Wally…" Brendan called out to him, which would make the young boy practically squeal happily in reply, if not by the sheer weight of annoyance in the tone of that voice.

"Brendan?" Wally eyed his friend closely and the look on the other boy's face nearly broke him down into tears.

"Let's do this." The brown-haired boy took out one of his Poké-Balls and called out his trusted Sceptile, the green Pokémon showing a lot more enthusiasm for his battle than his trainer is. In fact, Brendan is clearly unhappy with this if the downcast look in his eyes is to be trusted.

Gritting his teeth, Wally swallowed back the low sob that was threatening to escape his lips as he blinked away the tinkling tears at the corner of his eyes. "Yeah… Let's." Wally managed to reply despite his grinding teeth.

'Why…' Wally hammered the words at the inner walls of his mind. 'Why, why, WHY?! Why doesn't he care about me?'

Older Brendan watched from within as his pale-skinned young friend trashed his inner self in a turmoil. That anger, that pain all transferring to him, making him feel as the boy is, making him look at his younger self with utter despise and grief.

The battle in itself was tamed, lukewarm and weak-minded on both sides. Brendan with his first reaction to the challenge completely destroyed any tension this battle could've had. He on his part didn't care nearly enough in indulging his friend om this, with the goal of the elite four being so close that he could see the giant fortress up ahead. And Wally… the poor boy was in such disarray that he just replaced Roselia with another Pokémon as she fell, not a single shred of emotion coming out of him.

'This is… so painful to watch.' Brendan watched the battle that would be their last for a long time, but this time from the eyes of his friend. He couldn't have imagined this, he had never spared much thought to his battle against Wally before his rise against the elite four, how could he? Wally felt like an inconvenience holding him back moments before his most important task yet.

It never dawned on Brendan, that this very moment was the most important moment to his close friend.

Despite how much Ekkisu and Wally's Gallade were engrossed in their battle, fighting off against one another with everything they had, their trainers could not be more detached from their battle as they are now.

Didn't take a genius to notice how little Brendan actually look to the battle or even to his friend, instead his gaze was always so focused on the end of the road little ways ahead of him. This infuriated Wally beyond belief. 'At least have the courtesy of looking at me!' Wally growled on the inside. After working so hard, so painfully hard to get here, Wally only got a crying heart as his reward, for what he wanted would clearly be beyond his reach.

'Come on… look at him.' Brendan hissed at his younger self. 'He is your friend, look at him!' He tried to scream the words out, but nothing he did pass by to Wally or to him on the other side.

To the disheartened young boy this unbearable situation felt like an eternity, but their battle ended before long; Brendan's team proving once again to be far too much for Wally's own brave Pokémon.

Calling back his last Pokémon to fall, his Altaria. Wally looked down in silence for a moment, his arms trembling at his side with boiling rage. Soon after he sighed and looked at Brendan with a short empty smile. "I couldn't beat you this time, too… But one of these days, Brendan, I'm going to catch up to you… and challenge the Pokémon League!"

Calling back his swift Swellow, Brendan let out one amused chuckle. "I will be waiting for that day, Wally." As if his words were more than enough of a charity for the other boy, Brendan quickly set his sights on the giant Building in front of him and began to step towards his future.

'Look at him!' Brendan shouted in the isolated mind-space he is in. 'Goddammit, get out of your high horse and look at your friend!' Strange as it may seem for him to feel this way, Brendan has never felt such a deep urge to punch someone in the face as he has right now, looking at his younger self.

Wally waited for long enough, he waited in place until his friend has stepped out of the sea of flowers. When he felt that no one was looking at him, his legs gave out and his knees crashed against the ground.

" **I hate you… Brendan."**

Those words came back once more, now in full colors and display on this vivid memory. A violent rush of emotions crashed upon Brendan's senses, the same powerful feeling he had felt before leaving his white prison. Strong and unhinged emotions like a brewing storm inside a small container… yet not a shred of ill-intent on it.

" **I… hate you, Brendan. I hate you!"** With trembling shoulders and cracking voice, Wally began to sob quietly in his spot among the flowers. While his cursing words carried a strong sentence with them, his chest was enveloped by nothing but a crushing sadness. "Why won't he take notice of me…" In contrast to his heated words from before, these last ones came out weak, soft and trembling.

'Wally…' Brendan felt the piercing pain on the boy's chest as if his own heart was crying with pain. For this moment, this single moment, he gained a little control over the green-haired trainer's actions. In this glimpse of freedom, he brought one of Wally's thin pale hands to his right cheek and wiped away the running stream of tears. 'Sorry for making you feel like this. I've lost sight of many things growing up, your feelings were one of them… I'm sorry for being a bad friend.'

Having this moment last for just a second, Brendan was forced to relent control back to his friend and watch as the green-haired boy stood up on his feet again. With a low gaze fixated on the ground, Wally turned his back to the giant building of the League and started his path down the mountain.

"Good luck on your final steps, friend." He said in a whisper, his voice directed at Brendan but never reaching him. "At least to me, you are a friend, my first friend… the one I loved so much."

With his insides ripping apart in guilt, older Brendan was forced to watch his friend slowly walk away as he was pulled back from Wally's body as the surroundings around them began to fade back to white. Forced as he may have been, he watched carefully as the green-haired boy stepped away, every color leaving the scenery, every flower dissipating into nothingness, but Wally's figure remained, he continued to walk with his shoulders deflated, walking forward and yet without a destiny. He continued to walk until he vanished inside the sea of white, disappearing from Brendan's sight once more.

"I… love you too, friend." This time, Brendan felt his own face get wet with hot streaming tears.

* * *

Cold and serene silence, the room's atmosphere is a complete opposite of their previous reaction to one of those vivid memories. Even if it was a bit rude and insensitive of them, the group could not help but look back at Wally, their gaze drowned in a lingering affection, borderline pity, towards the boy.

But for him, their piercing gaze was almost inexistent. For the green-haired young man, nothing else in this room was getting his attention away from the other boy lying on the floor. Of course, Spiegel is not truly Brendan, but one look at that face and this little detail start to make a whole lot of less sense.

His gaze stayed on Spiegel's form, studying his form up and down; the intensity of Wally's concentration on his friend is so out of the ordinary that even May's hand, pressing at his arm for comfort, fails to register on his mind.

However, this unflinching concentration paid out for him, in a form. It was just one and very quick reaction coming out from Spiegel's still body, but it was more than enough for Wally to understand its meaning. One small glint appeared on the corner of those closed eyes, it lingered there for a second and then slid down the boy's cheek, finding its way down to the floor next to his jawline.

That one tear escaping the unconscious boy's eyes was enough to make Wally bring both hands to his face, forcing himself to hold on and not break into a mess of tears himself.

"Three out of four…" Zinnia's composed voice pulled the group out of the sudden awkwardness that had dawned on them. She looked towards the flat screen with zealous attention, a stern expression appearing on her face. "I guess, I am the only one left."

"Celebi?" Ethan twirled on his chair, bringing his sight down to his little friend sitting on Spiegel's chest.

" **Almost… I can feel him so close."** She replied with a weaker voice, the procedure clearly having a deep effect on the small Pokémon, but Celebi remained steady on her task.

"There's your answer." Ethan directed his reply to Zinnia, the girl giving him just a spare glance before looking back to the monitor. "One more and we will see what happens."

* * *

" **I wish I could see you again."**

This time… it was her voice.

Brendan felt a downpour flooding down his chest. Everyone else was a strange roller-coaster of emotions, especially Wally. But hearing Zinnia's voice in what seemed like years… it made his heartbeat three times faster than ever before.

The weaving strings pulling his body inside the endless stream of white could not move any faster and that was driving Brendan insane. It didn't matter what he was going to see, he just wanted to see her again, in any way. He just wants to see his brazen, and a bit crazy, girlfriend.

"Hey there partner." Contrary to the other many times, it was not a flush of colors that called Brendan to a new scene, instead, it was a voice, a male voice that faintly reminded him of someone.

Right then, his surroundings transformed into the interior of a large room, a small bar with a dim-lighted mood to it. In a spontaneous reaction, Brendan felt his head turn to the side and 'his' eyes grace the image of a goofy looking blond man standing at his side with two cans on his hands.

"You know, I called you here to help me with work… not to daydream while watching TV." The blond, Max, sat down on the tall chair at Zinnia's side, placing one of the cans at the small counter. His, at the moment, short straight hair forcing him to run one hand above his ears, adjusting it in place.

Zinnia grabbed the cold can of beer on her hands, giving her new friend a funny look. "I would gladly help you with work if you would stop yourself for more than ten minutes from going over to the other room to smooch your girlfriend."

"Fiancé!" Max corrected her, a strict look on his face, which quickly broke down into a friendlier one as he smiled. "That guy on the screen, someone you know?" He pointed to the ongoing interview showing at the small TV at the wall, then took a small sip of his drink.

Zinnia followed his example and opened her can, taking one long sip of the bitter liquid. "He…" She stopped in the middle of her sentence. 'What is he to her?' The question popped on her head, taking her attention away from Max and his curious gaze, instead, placing it on the serious boy talking with a reporter. "He is my light." She said with a giggle.

"Wow! That's grand coming from you." The blond poked at her side with one elbow, a sly smile on his lips. "Famous boyfriend you got there; I saw him on some TV channels at least three times this week."

She looked at him with an agape mouth, a look of conflict on her eyes. "He is not my boyfriend." Despite how distressed she looked, her words came out as naturally as they could; and of course, confusing the blond out of his chair.

Max glanced at his TV, then to Zinnia all the while taking a chug of his beer. "Then what? You call him your light and you look at him like I look at muffins… By any chance, did he reject you?"

"Not that either, stupid!" Zinnia swung a wide punch to the side, to which Max ducked down rather clumsily. "Brendan is a special boy. Because of him, I found a new path in my life; his way of taking things so forward and without restrains inspired me to explore more of the world and find my place in it." She looked back to the blond crouching behind her and smiled. "You can say, that is because of him that we were able to meet."

"Is that so?" Max looked back at Brendan again. "Well, cheers to him then. Thank you, stranger…" He peeked closer to the screen, getting a proper view of the boy's name and title. "Pokémon League… Champion?! Goddamn, that is one heavy catch. Way to go, Zinnia."

Zinnia's right arm went swinging wildly again, but not even close the same force she had used the previous time. Instead of seriously going for a whack at the blonde's head, she just kept him occupied with his dive/dodge to the side to distract him from the wide grin appearing on her lips.

"Max…" A third voice sounded off from behind the door at the back of the room. "Please, just finish cooking already. You know that I can't make sweet berry stew as good as yours."

"Coming." Max replied back to his fiancé, his voice loud enough to get a satisfied hum coming from the other room. "Well, you can go back to ogling mister lover boy there. I will attend to my lovely wife."

"Fiancé." Zinnia corrected him this time, also giving him a smirk in the process.

Max barely acknowledged her smart comeback at him, giving only a low grunt in reply to the tanned girl. The blond being too happy to indulge his loved one, hastily vanished back to the small kitchen of his house, leaving Zinnia to her own musings.

And mused she did.

After getting a bit more privacy once again, Zinnia could not get her eyes away from the TV. What was the interview about or what were they talking? She has no idea, and will probably continue to stay that way as her only interest is that cute face smiling to the camera.

'Look at that pretty face, you still look the same Brendan.' Her red eyes sparkled with a not to pure interest as she stared at his features. 'Almost the same, can't ignore how much taller you have grown… taller and bigger.' The next reaction was just a bit of involuntary reflex, but as Zinnia undressed him with her eyes, she bit her lower lip in a heated display of wanting. "I wonder how those firm and muscular arms would feel wrapped around me." And the words escaped her lips.

At this moment Brendan discovered that even his 'ghostly-self' hidden within Zinnia, could turn red and blush in a hot streak like the sun. Being the guy in front of Zinnia's heated gaze, receiving that look of absolute desire, was always a unique experience; as she was never a woman to hold back when she wanted something and didn't hold back either on showing that affection. However, feeling this burning desire of her burning on his own chest, practically lusting furiously for his own image… This is a weird experience beyond any description.

Then, right as Brendan was about to die of the embarrassment of this awkward/intimate moment, Zinnia's heart had a sudden change in direction. She didn't lose her affectious intent towards the boy, but her burning lust slowly faded into a warmth yearning. Her thoughts calmly wandered from the TV in front of her to the images inside her mind; vivid images of a past memory.

In the span of a time that would transpire a snap of a finger, Brendan got pulled into another place. A blurry scenery, one composed most of faded colors and an expanding orange sky on the horizon. In this place he found a younger Zinnia staring at the sky with one hand clutching the chest part of her shirt.

"You believed in me." The red-eyed girl said, lone tears rolling down her cheeks. She continued to stare to a place beyond those murky clouds, gazing to a barely visible stream of green and yellow. "Even when no one else did… You believed in me." Her stricken façade changed to a blissful smile. "So brave and kind, despite looking so innocent and cute." She giggled at that last part. "I want to be like you, Brendan. Next time we see each other… I will be a better person because of you." Zinnia kneeled down and patted the head of the small Whismur standing next to her, she gave her little girl a note and a small stone; instructing Aster to stay here and wait for the boy who went to save the world. Giving one last look to the shining light at the sky, Zinnia smiled and bit her lips to hold in some tears. "Thank you."

As hasty as before, Brendan's sight changed back to the dim-lighted room inside Max's house, his gaze instantly falling upon the smiling face of the young adult Zinnia. "My kind and cute hero…" Her words were full of warmth and love, her eyes going back to the ongoing interview at the screen. Then a little saddened smile crossed her lips. **"I wish I could see you again."**

As those keywords were spoken once again, Brendan felt the familiar pull taking him out of this memory, leaving him helpless at its mercy and leaving him to watch as everything disappeared.

"No…" He whispered under his breath, his eyes narrowing at the already blurred image of Zinnia seated on her spot. "Release me!" He trashed against the invisible strings controlling his body, tossing himself back and forward in a desperate struggle. He groaned in pain as the world around him fought back to hold him in place; little by little, Brendan removed himself from his fay prison, taking heavy and painful steps forward.

He continued in his heroic march without relenting to the massive pull trying to take him back, he walked forward and forward, until he reached Zinnia frozen and still form. Once there, his arms wrapped around her blurry body, letting him lean closer and press his forehead on the side of her neck.

"I miss you, Zinnia… I miss Aster, I miss everybody." He shivered slightly against her fading form; each little bit of color that left Zinnia's form made his heart ache even more. "I want to go back to you; I want to hold you properly… I don't want to go back to that white place… Zinnia, I'm scared."

Brendan's struggle to remain in place, to retain any color back in his life proved to be for nothing. As much as he held tight to Zinnia's form, she eventually disappeared, leaving his arms swinging in the air and the void of white to consume everything once again.

"Zinnia… I don't want to… be alone in here…" Slowly Brendan felt his consciousness give in once again, as it happens every time he is put inside this prison devoid of color, his mind fell deeply into a state of perpetual rest.

* * *

The first sound to scatter the sudden silence away was the clattering sound of a chair slamming its side on the floor. Zinnia could wait no longer, she marched over to Spiegel and crouched at his side; her right hand clasping his cheek as he carefully shook his head in an attempt to wake him up. Yet, she didn't manage to get a single reaction from the boy and his eyes showed no signs of opening.

"That was the last one, right?" She asked in a demanding tone, her eyes instantly traveling to the back of Ethan's chair. "What now? What we do now?" Then her gaze came back to the little creature sitting on Spiegel's chest. "Where's Brendan?"

" **Still in there…"** Celebi said quietly, her head hanging low in a subtle display of shame.

Zinnia's world went completely red, she felt like a sword had pierced her chest and cleaved her heart in two. In an outburst, she grabbed Celebi with both hands and held the little Pokémon above her head, shaking Celebi silly. "What you mean he is still in there?!" The draconid girl yelled at the top of her lungs. "What was the point of all of this, huh? We did all of that for nothing?"

Poor Celebi squealed in panic as her head rocked back and forward, her big eyes widening even more in fear of the woman's rage. **"I can feel the other him…"** Celebi pointed to the young man on the floor. **"He is frozen at the other side, so close… but I can't reach to him."**

"W-what is she saying?!" Steven stood up from his seat as well, Zinnia's sudden outburst unsettling everyone inside the room, everyone except Ethan who just kept staring at the monitor with a blank face.

"Then do it again!" Zinnia growled loudly, pushing Celebi out of her hands and letting the small onion head float in the air. "Just keep doing this memory crap until you can reach him." She looked down at Spiegel and her enraged momentum faltered. "Please… just don't stop." Her tone changes significantly after getting another look at the sleeping boy. "Please, keep trying."

From Steven to May, everyone glanced at Spiegel on the floor. Their hearts sunk low with the sight of his still form. They all wanted to scream as loudly as Zinnia did, they wanted their friend back too. But seeing their hopes waver and fade as the plan began to crumble, no one had the strength to lash out like that.

"Ah… AHHHH!" A loud screech of terror erupted in the room; every eye instantly snapped onto Spiegel's body, but he was still sound asleep. It was only when a heavy sound of someone crashing on the floor sounded high, that everyone brought their gazes to the right spot.

Ethan had fallen with his chair in an ugly impact. He, who was strangely quiet all this time, is now staring at the screen with an agape mouth and one trembling hand pointing at the flat screen.

"Ethan?" Silver rushed toward his partner, his worry only increased tenfold after he got a proper glimpse of the raven-haired boy's face.

There was no gold in the guardian's eyes, that color was all but gone. Instead, Ethan's grey eyes are shaking in its focus to the screen, a look of fear plastered on his face; fear, an emotion that he has never show even while facing a creature capable of destroying the world.

"Oi, Ethan?!" Silver tried to grab hold of his lover's warm, just to get harshly push back by those trembling hands.

Ethan is in complete shock; he could not look anywhere else but the imagery in front of him.

For the lack of difference in color, all the others failed to realize, but the screen has already changed. Brendan's mindscape has already been pulled to somewhere else, somewhere eerie familiar to Johto's champion.

A curtain of white still remained in there, but it was a living color, it has a strange glint to it; one that snow should never have, at least not normally. Ethan watched as the silver-colored snowflakes peacefully rained down on the white mountain. He watched the oppressive silhouette that glared at him even past the screen, two red orbs that stared right inside his soul. The only presence that still manages to stir this lost emotion inside his heart.

"R-R-Red…?!" Ethan has finally spoken the name.

* * *


	39. Together

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _Just a quick note about the theme song of this chapter... You know I had to do it. ;)_

* * *

A warm tingling still grazed Brendan's cheek, the remnants of this pained tears, tears of fear for being stuck in his lifeless prison yet again. Yet, it was this grim feeling that awakens Brendan to the reality surrounding him. He is covered in white, his vision is full of white, yet he is thinking, he is feeling and most of all, he is conscious!

This revelation forced him to glance at his sides, to look at the slippery ground he is standing on. 'Ground?' He thought to himself, surprised to be standing on his feet, instead of being floating in a blank space. A chilly wind stormed over from above, little pieces of sparkling droplets wetting his face and leaving a cold sensation all over him. 'This is snow… The white is snow!' A massive smile broke his lips apart, whatever has been happening to him since the start, had not stopped. He was not left inside that white hell; he was just standing in a place covered in snow.

With the overjoyed discovery gracing his thoughts, his borrowed freedom came to a halt; something that he was more than expecting at this point. As this person walked, ever so brazen and confident to never look down where they are stepping; Brendan had a really hard time to decipher who he is this time. His only clue about this person's features, which would lead to their identity, is the large flock of black hair sticking down in voluminous bangs, that almost covered their right eye completely.

'Wait… I know someone with hair like this.' Surely, even if there is only one piece of clue in this mystery, this characteristic hairstyle is too unique to mistake with anyone else. 'I am Ethan at this moment.' Brendan nodded his head in his inner thoughts, then a certain strangeness hit him fairly fast. 'Where are we… I've never been to a place like this, and certainly never with Ethan. What is this place?'

Seeing as his friend walks with such certainty that even side glances are neglected, Brendan had to resort to feeling his surroundings instead of looking at them through Ethan's eyes. So, he let his senses immerse on Ethan's own senses. His greeting welcome turned to be one freezing cold, even in his own inner body, Brendan felt his arms shiver and his hairs stand up. Then the weather got pushed to a secondary place; the cold turned into a tiny concern when Brendan began to felt the ridiculously fast pace of Ethan's heartbeat.

The sound, the rhythm, even the warmth provided by such overwhelming pressure; all of this amazed Brendan that his friend's heart didn't explode out of his chest. To make this sensation even worse, at each step climbed, at each corner turned inside this freezing cave tunnel, his heart goes even crazier.

Stepping over to a huge set of malformed, natural, steps; Ethan suddenly stopped. His eyes darting upwards to the small opening at the top of that climbing, a shining ray of light coming through that door at the end.

Ethan smiled, a scared, excited, conflicted smile. "That geezer called these the steps of fate…" His smile widened, now just shining with exploding overconfidence. "I like it." His right foot was the first one to touch the stairs, the teenager from New Bark Town going forward towards his destiny.

Little by little, he closed the gap on his way to the summit. At each bold step taken, Brendan could feel the amazing rush of adrenaline coursing through Ethan's body. This moment feels so vivid, so alive, so much more intense than all the others before. If it was not for his own thoughts in marvel at this scenery, Brendan would mistake this as his present and living moment.

Standing in front of the deformed hole at the cave wall, Brendan felt his own mind get numb with an exhilarating thrill. This was taking too long and yet felt that Ethan was walking to fast. This turmoil of conflicting sensations sprung into a maddening fit, and it was only when Ethan stepped outside the rocky maze that this ringing storm inside his head came to a full halt.

Razor-sharp winds carried the falling snow, whipping everything in its course. This violent snowfall making difficult to see ahead, but not impossible to perceive the entirety of this place. Mt. Silver's summit, one giant open space at the top of the fabled mountain; its uneven, rocky ground covered in snow, silver-colored snow. Making a giant ground to all sides, with the only exception being a taller square formation of solid rock at the other end of this place, an altar at the very tip end of the mountain.

On that place, that mystical platform at the top of Johto… A flaming pair of eyes are patiently staring down at the entrance, staring down at Ethan. That gaze sends chills down the raven-haired boy's spine, that blurred silhouette more menacing that the towering form of Lugia in his rampage episode.

At the edge of Mt. Silver, facing the embodiment of his own path, Ethan smiled.

* * *

"Red?" Silver mimicked the words that barely escaped Ethan's trembling lips. Slightly disturbed by his partner sudden shift in personality, the red-haired allowed his gaze to follow the trembling arm that Ethan still holds up, letting that calming whiteness on the screen settle inside his thoughts for a few moments. "Is that Mt. Silver?!" The boy exclaimed loudly, his body jolting upwards into straight form as he stared intensely at the screen.

The question was a rhetorical one, as Silver is absolutely certain of what place that is. Too many of his own memories are haunted by that scenery, those white steps leading to the summit of champions. A place that he hated most of his life for representing his rival overwhelming triumph over him, yet unknown to him, this place seems to carry a deep trauma to Ethan himself.

"C-Celebi, sto…" Ethan swallowed his words. Chewing on his lower lip, he agonized with a heavy conflict inside his chest. As he almost asked, Ethan wants Celebi to stop this immediately, no matter what. But if his little friend is doing this, she has a very good reason for it; looking down at the boy lying on the floor the reason is more than apparent for him. "I can't…" Ethan jumped on his feet, twirling on his heels he darted straight to the closed door, just to click on the panel at his side and stop for a moment. "I can't watch this." With a deep scowl on his face, he stepped outside the room and left without a second comment.

"Quite the outburst out of a sudden…" Steven stared at the closing door, his own surprise mirrored in the face of the three others.

"I… get that these memories can be a bit embarrassing." Wally voiced his thoughts, his face still a bit red from his own turn. "But his reaction was way too strange, even for a guy like him."

"Maybe his one is very, veery, embarrassing." May giggled quietly behind her hands, imagining all sorts of silly things that could appear on that monitor.

One heavy grunt sounded off from the tanned girl in front of them, Zinnia glared at the monitor with pointily attention, sparing just a small glance to the pair behind her. "That loudmouth of a guy getting embarrassed?" She snorted and shook her head. "Considering the amount of stupid and crazy things he has done in the little time I've known him; I doubt he would feel such emotion from his actions. Still…" She brought her gaze back to the snowfall at the monitor, a slight frown appearing on her features. "What the hell did happen between him and Brendan that would cause that reaction from him?"

"You're wrong." Silver jumped in, getting everyone's attention onto him but paying no mind to them as his attention is way too focused on what is in front of him. "That is Mt. Silver, a place in Johto that is similar to how Ever Grande is to you here in Hoenn. It would be impossible for Brendan to be involved in this place, this memory… this is something different than what happened to you four."

"So, this is a memory exclusive to him?" Steven asked the red-haired boy, giving a few glances to the door at the back of the room. He held one finger at the touch of his lower lip for a few moments, his face the picture of concentration. Then his eyes widened quite a bit, as an expression of shock washed over his face. "Red… at first, I thought that was a color code between you two. But that is a name, the name! He was talking about the legendary trainer, Red, wasn't he?"

Silver replied with a slow nod, briefly glancing at Steven. The always grumpy red-haired is now wearing an even more upset expression on his face. "I think I know what event is this." He glared down at the small Pokémon concentrating in her task, then back to the white screen up ahead. "Ethan once told me, that the day he became the proper champion of Johto and Kanto… it was a day of silvered-snowstorm." He chuckled in a low and grumpy manner, a way that only Silver would be able to do. "Look at the screen, at the sparkling snowflakes raining from above. This is the memory of his battle against Red."

If the group were curious before, now they are silenced with the weight of their curiosity. For Wally and Steven, both professional trainers, this is a historical event ready to happen right in front of their eyes; the battle of the best. But even Zinnia and May, two of which have a lot less interest in the ways of formal Pokémon battles, their attention to this affair is absolute. Not a single one of them can deny their interest in witnessing something that most, if not anyone aside from those two, were present to see.

One by one, they returned to their seats. The cutting silence that dawned on the room is unparalleled to all the others that came before. Not a single louder breathing, not a word of comment; every single person present, just stared at the screen in silence, for history is about to show itself in front of their eyes.

* * *

… … … =============== ( watch?v=FoGs1n5hvvQ&t )

* * *

"Yo!" Ethan's voice echoed on the snowy mountain, its ring repeating itself until reaching the open sky. "Your name is Red, right?" He addressed the pale tall trainer staring at him from the other side, noticing the other boy's piercing gaze at him made the blunt raven-haired grin widely. "I heard you're pretty good."

If Brendan could, he would puke right about now. He is dazed and amazed by how calm Ethan seems to be with the crazy pressure threatening to squish everything into a tint size. Or maybe the boy is also half the reason why the pressure is this high; either way Brendan is left dumbstruck at the scene unfolding around him.

Red stepped down from the higher platform he was standing, and as soon as his feet landed on the soft cold snow covering the ground, his entire stance changed.

"…"

The older teenager adjusted his cap with one hand, preparing himself to battle without uttering a single word. From his left side, a small yellow Pokémon jumped up and landed at his shoulder, a brave looking Pikachu, staring down at Ethan with the same intensity in his eyes as his silent trainer.

"Not the talking type?" Ethan jested with his mysterious-looking opponent, the cold silence in reply just made the golden-eyed boy chuckle in response. "Fine, let's know each other better through battle!"

Ethan stepped forward, stopping at what he judged to be an equal distance for him and Red to the center side of the area. He himself messed with his black and yellow cap, making sure to put his long bangs out of his field of vision. Then, he brought one hand to his coat's pocket and stared at the other trainer with total focus, neither of them moving or speaking, just pure battle concentration.

Brendan is witness to this quiet stand-off. Despite being stuck inside Ethan's point of view, he can clearly see the entire scope of this soon to be battlefield. He gulped internally in anticipation, this quietness preluding something that is shaping to be extraordinary.

The smaller of flickers in Ethan's arm unleashed overflowing energy throughout his entire body. Such a powerful burst erupting from the raven-haired boy that this intense feeling spread inside Brendan's own mind.

'Now!' Brendan shouted within, recognizing how that little flicker would trigger Ethan's body to move and start officially the battle. Right then, Ethan twirled his arm forward, throwing one of his Poke-Balls at full speed at the center of the arena, the round object meeting one of the same kind in mid-air, as Red responded in the same time. Both balls grinded against each other, taking metallic sparks out of one another, then landing on the ground where they both exploded with a shining light.

From that turmoil of light and flying snow, two large forms ascended to the sky. To the right, a menacing creature of times passed by floated in the air, a massive grey terror named Aerodactyl. And challenging the ancient sky-terror, stands a massive orange dragon with a goofy grin in its face but his eyes flaring with motivation; like all the others of his kind, this Dragonite is a powerful fighter despite his peaceful looks.

"Pecko!" Ethan shouted to his Dragonite. "That guy looks fast, but we will be even faster!" Directing his words also to the trainer standing on the other side, Ethan grinned. He slowly brought his hand up and then swiped it down in front of him.

Pecko, the orange dragon, flapped his wings faster than before; he tipped his large body downwards and started a spear-dive with his head serving as the piercing point.

Red's left arm shot upwards to his side, a fast and silent command. His Aerodactyl had only to glance at the motion of his trainer to start an evasive maneuver, gracefully slipping by Pecko's heavy body. Another swishing sound raised up as the red-eyed champion calmly switched between left and right arm, an imaginary circle being drawn in front of him, but a clear enough sign to propel his Aerodactyl forward.

A grey blur just flashed pass Pecko's side, leaving the Dragonite in a confused daze; then once again another blur flew in a sound-like speed to his left. Before Pecko or his trainer could notice properly the intention of his movement, the Dragonite's eyes had started to swirl in pure confusion, leaving him stunned in place. Right then, a heavy crashing sound erupted from Pecko's round belly, it was only a moment, but it was possible to see Aerodactyl's long tail bashing at his opponent's exposed body.

Brendan cringed at that sound, it was too gritty and too powerful; any Pokémon would faint after getting hit by something so criminally strong as that. At this moment he wanted to fly out of Ethan's body just to look at his friend's face, because he was feeling no change of emotion coming from him, even after losing one of his Pokémon so rapidly.

To Brendan's surprise, a startling one, a loud piercing whistle echoed in the air. Took him good ten seconds to noticed that Ethan had two fingers pressed against his lips.

Pecko, who was slowly falling down from the sky, suddenly jolted his eyes wide open. His trainer's whistle resonated deeply into the Pokémon's mind, alerting him to his situation and the distance between him and the grey menace. Getting back the control of his flying, the Dragonite let his body fall even faster, diving fully into the ground only to swoop in an arc around the arena and rise to the sky again on the other side of Aerodactyl's space.

Aiming at his zooming opponent barely visible in the line of heavy clouds, Pecko opened his mouth, letting a force of yellow crackling light swirled at the opening between his teeth. Pushed forward by a terrifying roar, a spear of lightning bolt flew from the orange dragon, piercing and cleaving the grey line of clouds into an open space.

Red clapped his hands together in front of him, the sound it made echoed in an annoying manner, invading Ethan's thoughts and forcing him to look at the other trainer. And at this moment he heard his Dragonite cry in pain. Pecko is stuck midair, with the grey form of Aerodactyl attached to him, pointy and sharp white teeth pressed at the backside of Pecko's neck.

In the midst of painful screeches of pain and heavy wing flaps, Brendan saw a small flicker onto those unwavering red eyes of the silent champion. Something managed to move the unmovable wall that is Red's concentration, forcing the legendary trainer to avert his eyes away from the battle and into boy battling him.

The tingling sensation on 'his' cheeks was what gave away the source of Red's discomfort. Ethan is smiling, a full-fledged wide smile. While his Pokémon in whining in pain in its lockdown, the raven-haired boy is overjoyed. Brendan frowned in slight confusion, only to be more surprised when Ethan raised his gaze and shouted.

"That's enough Pecko, let's fry him up now!"

Pecko who was writhing in pain abruptly stopped his pained act and switched to an offensive position. He twirled to the left, sinking his claws at the Aerodactyl's back and pushing him further close to his body. Then crying out to the sky, he summoned a giant thunderbolt on top of them both, discharging a powerful current of energy against his resilient scales and into the not so resistant naked grey skin of the grey dragon.

In a rash clash, both dragons landed on the snow-covered ground. Pecko slowly rising up to his feet with a thin line of bruises at his neck, while his opponent lay on the ground showing no signs of getting up anytime soon.

Or so they thought…

Red for the first time raised his voice. " **Fire Blast** " The intonation deep and strong, a stern ring echoing with the raspiness of his voice. Following his command, Aerodactyl rolled on his belly, resting his open mouth on the snow and taking aim at his opponent.

Scorching heat clashed against freezing cold as an infernal wave of flames unleashed from the ancestral Pokémon's agape mouth. At first, a grey curtain of frozen ashes erupted from the ground, washing over anything in its path; then from this swelling fog, the heated wave came forward, melting the snow into water and blackening the surface of the mountain as it advanced towards the Dragonite.

"UP!" Ethan yelled loudly. He tossed both arms into the air and motioned a broken circle to his right. "Ignore him and reach upward!"

Pecko did as asked and ignored everything in his way, letting the roaring flames follow behind in his trail but unable to reach him in time as the orange dragon reached higher and higher.

The trainer on the other side snapped his fingers and pointed upwards; instantly his flying Pokémon halted his blazing wave and raised up to the sky himself. Pecko got an upstart on his opponent, but Aerodactyl is faster than him, much faster. In this equilibrium of haste and distance, both Pokémon reached the cloud lines at the same time, disappearing behind the grey background.

Ethan and Red traded glances for a mere second and then both directed their gazes to the sky above.

" **SKY DROP!"** Both of them shouted their orders from bellow, this small choir of voices making a turmoil on the airborne battle as the two silhouettes behind the clouds became one mess limbs and crashing bodies.

A brute line erupted from the sea of clouds, Aerodactyl and Dragonite spiraling down in one single mess towards the snowy grounds. They clawed, bit and headbutted each other at each meter they cruised downwards, unrelenting in their attack, reckless of their safety.

Ethan watched with a scary focus as both Pokémon continued to torpedo down towards the mountain, his eyes clenching to push the snowstorm out of his vision, his lips pressing against one another in anticipation. As the clashing duo got inches close to the ground, Ethan swung his right arm to the side and shouted.

" **Hyper Beam!"**

To his surprise, his voice was not the only one getting thought the falling snow. **"Dragon Breath!"** Red commanded loudly in his stern, raspy tone.

This was a combination with zero percent of evasion chances. So close together to one another, Dragonite and Aerodactyl just unleashed their attacks on their opponents, giving up on their own chances of getting out. The result was an exploding cascade of powers and hurricane of snow flying high as they smashed themselves on the ground and pressed even forward with their powerful abilities.

As the sound and visual clutter dissipated, the sight of both Pokémon finally down to the count showed for the trainers present. Ethan felt a slight frustration of the outcome, but he couldn't help but smile at the challenge in front of him. Red on the other hand just called his Pokémon back to its Poke-Ball, not a slight change in his stoic face.

'H-holy… crap!' Brendan gaped internally at the show in front of him. Everything happened fast... too fast even for him. 'This is Red?' He mused at the image of the enigmatic boy standing tall in front of him. 'This is… Ethan?' Now his admiration hitting the prowess of his goofy, almost never serious friend. At this point, it was hard to no sweat drop and gulp in nervousness at this clash of monsters happening in front of his eyes.

Taking into consideration how amazing and surreal his own experiences against the Elite Four and Steven felt, Brendan, is now facing something way out of his conceptions. Just watching this battle feels insane to him, how fast-paced, how delicate the balance feels around those two that even one misstep can decide the match. Once again, he gulped internally, trying to imagine how the hell would he stand up to this challenge if it was him in Ethan's shoes.

"I've to say… you're way better than what people make you to be." Ethan said with a wicked smile. "Yeah, you are strong all right… But I am stronger!" The golden-eyed boy called his Dragonite back and instantly hurled another Poke-Ball in the field.

A tie from the start? That just fired him up even more.

* * *

"This… can't be real, right?" May said out loud, her expression one of pure perplexity.

"It is real…" Wally replied to the girl at his side, his gaze glued at the most intense battle he has ever seen. "I understand your assumption, May. But that is a real battle between very high-level trainers… I know that because of Brendan." A faint frown appeared on the boy's features as he relieved being on the other end of a battle like that. "They are probably as good as Brendan is."

"No…" Steven said back, his tone a bit quieter and his face darkened by a sick look of distress. "They are better than Brendan… my word… they are much better."

"That is too much, no?" Wally rebuked the scion's words, now taking some time to look at Steven. "Even if this is amazing to watch, Brendan himself is able to command his team without giving much vocal feedback."

Steven shook his head, the shaken look in his eyes sending a cold chill down on Wally's spine. "There's much more than that. Guiding your Pokémon through signals or signs is an amazing feat and a great advantage against your opponent; blindside them about your next move and all that. But what they are doing… that is a ridiculous concept." Steven sunk against the support of his chair, taking one hand to his mouth he stared pointily at the screen as a giant Snorlax and a red Gyarados clashed against one another. "They are chaining moves one after another in a complex dance to gain the upper hand… Look at that exchange." He pointed at the screen.

Wally and May stared at the screen with a greater focus, watching as the Gyarados slithered his way around the Snorlax and at the same time soaking the already freezing ground with sprays of water.

"If you look at it on the normal way, the Gyarados is trying to topple the heavy body of his opponent with water attacks. However, that is just a first step in what seems to be a ploy to hinder Snorlax's available ground." Steven explained carefully, his eyes now shining with an increasing admiration of that battle. "Snorlax in the meanwhile is bashing forward with forceful strikes, not even close to hitting their target, but successfully pushing the soft layer of mud and snow to the edge of that arena."

May and Wally traded odd looks with each other. "This sounds a lot more impressive when you put it like that." She said in a mildly contemplative mood. "A complicated dance in a battle, that sounds cool."

"And troublesome." Wally added in.

Steven chuckled, a genuine amazed smile appearing on his lips. "That is a spectacle of genius. I can easily analyze and explain to you what is happening, but that is as an outsider. To be inside that chaos… that is another beast in itself. I've never met anyone capable of doing such things, of battling with just split-second decision making in chain reactions… imagine doing so with such aptitude."

Zinnia grunted on her spot, amazed as she was at the prowess of those two trainers, her full attention is always switching to the young man lying on the ground.

Silver, the other one staying in silence, is watching this fight with an immense sense of amazement and deep frustration. He had fought against Ethan on that very same day, on that same blasted mountain, but looking at this monstrous battle… it was like his hated rival was holding back against him, something that deeply infuriated him.

"Silver… right?" Steven called out to the red-haired, the latter giving out a grunt and glaring to the side toward the blue-haired scion. Steven quirked a brown at the glare directed at him but still continued. "Your partner, he is terrible rude as a person and he deeply irritates me. But I have to admit, he is a brilliant trainer."

"An unhinged capability of irritation is Ethan's most prominent skill, it doesn't surprise me that you don't like him." Silver replied in his stern, emotionless tone; his words getting a snort out from May and a chuckle from Wally but he just ignored those two. "Say what you will about his quirks, but he is the best trainer I have ever met… maybe the best one in the world."

"Debatable…" Steven replied with a crooked grin. "But I relent, he is amazing. Which only intrigues me, why he refused to watch such splendid battle… isn't that curious?"

Following the ex-champion's words, Silver found himself paying way more attention to that closed door than to the running scenes flashing on that giant flat screen. 'Ethan… what are you hiding from me?'

"A-AGAIN!" Wally's voice stormed inside the room, jolting Silver away from the slight dreaming state he was in his mind. "They tied again… this is unbelievable!" Overly excited about the ongoing match, the now energetic green-haired trainer is up on his feet and clenching both hands in tight fists. At this point his own spirit is burning with a heated passion for battle, standing witness to such an amazing match is making a huge impact on him. "If they keep going like that, they will end without deciding a winner."

Steven hummed on his spot, even if still looks composed and remains seated on his chair, the veteran trainer is also getting chills from watching them. "To scout the opponent with your weaker Pokémon is a solid strategy. I will take the liberty to guess that this tactic will fade away from this point forward." He watched as two new Pokémon were released on the open snowfield, his gaze welcoming a stomping Venusaur hastily advancing with his short legs and a beautiful Pidgeot gracefully soaring above the ground, her golden feathers sparkling with the touch of soft snowflakes falling from above. "Certainly, the first upset will happen at this match."

With a growing weariness on his chest, Silver watched Comet fight valiantly against the massive green adversary. Having felt a slight connection to the stupid golden bird after their night together, Silver cringed at each time she was hit with any attack; practically feeling the pain of her body on his own. But he noticed a particularity at this reaction, his and from the boy commanding the golden bird. Each time Silver would cringe and quietly avert his gaze away from the screen, he noticed a slight wavering on the vision showing at the monitor, as if the holder of those eyes was slightly clenching them, forcing himself to look at it despite how painful it felt.

'Ridiculous…' Silver groaned mentally. 'You throw your Dragonite in a suicide rush against that Aerodactyl, but can't stand to watch your Pidgeot get hit by a simple scratch…' His lips parted in a soft smile, ever so tiny and hidden away behind one of his hands so no one would notice. 'Comet really is your doting one, huh?'

Imagining what face his boyfriend would make if he teased him about this, Silver took a quick glance behind him again, his eyes going to the closed metal door again. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a black flock of hair on the other side of the heavy glass window, quickly hiding itself down from view again.

Silver sighed and pushed himself away from his spot against the wall. Making his way to the other side of the room and towards the exit, he received a few annoyed hisses from the others as he blocked their view of the screen. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Silver ignored them and pushed the bottom at the side panel, the door sliding itself open.

The pale-skinned boy walked into the hallway, letting the door slid closed behind him before he would turn to the side and gaze at the curling form at the floor that is Ethan crouching and hugging his knees.

"If you're going to peek from the shadows, why don't just suck it up and watch the thing with everyone else." Commented the stern sounding boy, his red eyes locked on his partner; who whimpered and shook his head slowly. "Ethan… seriously, what is going on with you?"

"I can't watch that…" Ethan said with a sad little chirp.

Silver groaned and rolled his eyes again. "You clearly can. I just caught you poking your head at the window to look at it."

Jet-black hair flustered to the side, that signature long bang grazing against the laced arms as Ethan turned his head to the side, making one eye visible to look at Silver. "Watching you… I was looking at you."

"Me?" Silver asked with furrowed brows. "And when did you ever go sneak and shy about that?!" His voice getting louder at the end of the sentence. "Oh, please do tell what did I do this time to make you so tame. I will gladly repeat that every time."

A long and tired sigh escaped the boy curled into a ball. He slid his head back to the other side, hiding his face and getting back to his drooping state.

"This isn't like you… not at all." Silver said a bit more calmly, getting himself to his lover's side and slowly sliding down to be sitting next to him. "I reckon this would be one of those times that you would be insufferable. Gloating about your victory and how amazing you are and all that." A pair of pale fingers traveled to the voluminous flock of black-hair hiding Ethan's face, slowly caressing it away to reveal his beautiful features. "I must be crazy for feeling like this, but… I would prefer that version of you, annoying the life of everyone than seeing you like this."

"How can I gloat about winning, when I didn't?" Ethan replied with a sultry but silent voice.

"You didn't?" Silver stopped the caressing touch of his hand, the shock forcing him to just stare at Ethan. "What you're talking about? You're Johto's Champion because you defeated Red, the League itself proclaimed that loudly for months."

"It doesn't fucking matter, because I didn't beat the guy!" Ethan lashed out angrily, his voice echoing on the dark abandoned base as he jumped away from Silver. "I… I didn't defeat Red… Lugia did." His furious gaze slowly cooled down, his shivering grey eyes averting its attention from Silver's surprise face and down to the damp metallic floor. "I couldn't… I was so close to doing it, so close… But that little yellow devil was too much. Who would believe that one small creature could be so strong?"

Silver pulled himself up, dusting his pants as he gathered his thoughts. "So, you used Lugia to win against him?"

Ethan quietly nodded; an ashamed slow nodding.

"Does it matter?" Silver asked in his stern and serious way of talking. "You fought hard to capture Lugia, so why would be wrong to use him in a battle?"

"Because it is." Ethan brought his face up again, a disapproving frown showing up. "He fought fair and square, not a single legendary on his side. I was weak, desperate to not fail after getting so far… I defeated Red that day." He sighed again, bringing one hand to his face and clutching it in a forceful grip. "But I betrayed my best friend's trust in order to do so."

Now growing confusion was brooding inside the red-haired boy's head. He opened his mouth to voice his numerous questions but was silenced by a soft hug; a warming needy embrace.

"Sorry for raising my voice earlier... Let's go back in." Ethan whispered at Silver's ear, making that part of his body tingle at the closeness. "You were right. This is not only something I can watch… but it is one that I have to, painful as it is."

Ethan pulled his arms away from his lover, leaving the lingering feeling of his arms around the boy's waist. Without another word, Ethan just forced himself towards the metallic door and opened it up, stepping inside to be greeted by sparkling gazes of admiration.

Silver stood in place for a little longer, his gaze fixated on his boyfriend's back. 'Betrayed your best friend?' He repeated the words in his head, getting a light frown on his already stern-looking features. "This is making less sense the more he opens up about it." The red-headed mused in a quiet whisper; shaking his head to distract himself from creating dozens of theories on Ethan's past, Silver stepped inside the room and from this point forward watched the monitor with a spare of his attention while all the rest is carefully studying Ethan's every reaction.

Reactions that quickly began to manifest as the boy took his place back on his chair. Just a glance at the screen made him frown deeply and cross his arms against his chest.

* * *

An energetic cheer escaped the young brown-haired trainer as he watched Comet absolutely dismantle her opponent, the heavy Venusaur had little chance against the golden bird's speed. Took little time for Brendan to choose a side and start to root for his friend against that absolute beast of a trainer; seeing Ethan achieve the first real win in the match was an ecstatic experience. Sadly, Red's sharpshooter of a Blastoise turned the scale back to an equal state after he blasted the nimble Pidgeot out of the sky.

Right now, Proto is skillfully evading the Blastoise's torrent of water cannons. Differently from his feathered companion, the red bug has a more intricate pattern in his movements, dashing from side to side in a zigzag manner without letting the snow hinder his speed.

Despite how well Red has remained calm and collected despite the hopeless attempts of striking his foe, Blastoise is not showing such control. The giant blue Pokémon is getting angrier and angrier at each missed shot, his heavy feet stomping forward at each attempt as the enrage scowl in his face deepens.

"Proto!" Ethan called to his Pokémon.

The fast Scizor stopped his running streak for a moment and glanced back at his trainer.

Both of Ethan's arms went up and above his head, his fingers spread as much as they could. "Let's do it!" The teenager said to his trusted friend, a sharp grin showing on his lips as he saw a glint of recognition flashing on the Pokémon's eyes.

Looking a lot more alert than before, Proto returned his gaze to the Blastoise. Then, he just disappeared. A red streak began to cross the field, twice as fast as before, but straight as an arrow as it traveled to every corner of the room. This blurred image of red dashed like a storm toward the big blue turtle, one sharp red claw grazing as the dazed Pokémon's cheek.

The hit while weak and not very effective in a physical manner, had a great impact on the Pokémon's mental. Blastoise went into a full rampage, pumping his water cannons everywhere, desperately trying to hit anything, even if the after-image of Proto's dashing form was evading all with ease.

Proto went in again, this time hitting his opponent twice at the side of the head, this time more powerful in its strike; having enough strength to push the heavier Pokémon a few steps back.

A mighty roar erupted on the arena, the blue Pokémon losing any grip he had on his focus. Now water just blasted from everywhere, from the ground and up from the sky; it was like a majestic show of light, but instead of ethereal luminous beams gracing the scene, it is a destructive storm of piecing water bodies.

As beautiful and frightening as this move was, it had little success in landing anything at the red menace that continues to sprint at the arena. Arena this one that is now completely changed, those beams of waters that fired from everywhere quickly got frozen in place by the harsh cold surrounding this place, leaving the ground covered in almost hundreds of thin mirrors separating small sections from the others.

'I got him!' Ethan's triumphant words exploded inside his head, making their way to Brendan's own thoughts. ' **Night Slash** ' The name popped up on his train of thoughts, of course never making past his closed lips. Proto had understood the meaning of Ethan's strategy, so it would be pointless to shout the move at this point or worse than that would only alert the opponent of his impending demise.

So instead of saying anything else, Ethan just watched and waited. When the streak of red disappeared behind the line of mirrors, he knew that it had started.

A heavy sound echoed in between the arena, a sound of metal clashing against an equally hard surface. Then the sound echoed again, again and again. When the first visual cue made itself available to normal eyes, it was already too late.

Lost for action in the strangeness of the new shape of the arena, Blastoise was left at the mercy of Proto's **Night Slash** barrage. The red bug hiding behind the mirrors in the gaps of each strike. When Proto's full form appeared completely in front of the blue turtle, he had already slashed his opponent for the sixth time, the seventh landing right after and each ensuing hit only getting stronger.

'We got him!' This time Brendan shouted to himself internally as Red's fourth Pokémon crashed against the ground, completely out of combat.

Ethan wanted to shout at the top of his lungs, he was feeling the best he has ever felt in his life. He is beating Red, the legend himself, and it was not by a small margin. Ever since Comet handled Venusaur, Ethan had taken control of the pacing of this match and he can feel it in every bone of his body. Normally this would push him to tease his opponent or to count his victory ahead of time, yet…

The look on Red's face, one of pure serenity; as if everything is going just fine and under his control. This ticked Ethan in the wrong way; how come that person is so calm despite being clearly on the verge of losing?

'Screw that… no time to be spacing out.' He growled himself out of his daze, his eyes going to the fifth Poke-Ball coming from his opponent.

Like every other Pokémon coming out from Red's team, the battlefield instantly transformed into a different state. This one even more noticeable than last time, as the blazing Charizard touched the ground, the towering icy mirrors all melted down into puddles of waters.

"That's a mean looking one." Ethan commented loudly, mostly talking with his own companion. "Ok, Proto. Let's change! I will take the helm now, okay?"

Proto, who landed a few paces ahead of his trainer, looked back at Ethan and nodded firmly. The red speedster stepped aside and gained a more neutral stance to his previous more aggressive one.

Once more, taking his uniqueness furthermore, Ethan stepped forward, getting in range of the battle arena. What he did next, greatly surprised Brendan and even Red himself, managing to get a startled look out from the silent trainer.

Ethan stood next to Proto and took a fighting position himself. "Can you do it in this place?" He asked his Pokémon, who first took a few glances to the arena around them and then nodded. "Great! Heh, to think I would debut this against the big man himself." The younger trainer traded the position of his legs, taking the left one forward and bringing the right one back, he jumped in place and shouted very loudly. "LET'S GO, PROTO!"

Proto jumped forward, moving his legs in the same way that Ethan did. But differently from his trainer, the red bug continued moving at a full speed, holding his arms in an exact copy of Ethan's posture.

"Sword!" Ethan shouted, bringing his left arm back and shooting the right one forward.

Proto once again copied the movement, flying at full speed towards his opponent and throwing at him a full charged punch. Charizard waited for the red claw to get close enough and raised one of his wings to intercept the hit; while the fiery lizard growled mildly in discomfort, he remained steady-fast in his spot.

Soft stepping sounds came from the other side of the arena, as Ethan sprinted his way around the imaginary circle. "Bounce!" He shouted. "Streak Two, Spear." He stopped in his track, his feet sliding across the slippery snow. Doing a fast twirl, the boy bounced backward and then rolled forward, pushing both arms in a synchronized move.

While the human counterpart of the duo looked at bit funny and quirky while he was doing this, the Pokémon one was nothing short of spectacular. Proto dashed to the side, kicking his feet against the ground to make himself slid backward as both of his claws began to glow with a bright white light. Then flying like an arrow made of light, he attacked Charizard with a spear-shaped move, darting across the battlefield in a blink of an eye.

As fast as Charizard's reaction time is, he could not move as fast as Proto. He tried to bring both of his arms in the line of aim of those flying claws, but before he could make contact, that attack exploded against his belly; sending him flying a few steps back.

At this point, it was impossible for Ethan to hide his huge grin. He was watching the orange Pokémon get back on his feet, with all the concentration in the world, but deep inside his mind, he was already feeling himself on his win. Immersed in this conflicting experience brewing in his mind, the young raven-haired trainer failed to notice the sharp hawk-like stare he was getting from the trainer at the other side.

One loud whistle echoed from Red, getting all attention onto him.

"Ignore your sight." Said him calmly and then nothing more.

As Charizard nodded and got himself back into a fighting position, Ethan and Proto traded a small confused glance between each other.

"So, you can't see him, then why bother? Am I right?" Ethan tossed one small jab at Red, the other boy not gracing him with any reaction other than a solid stern gaze. "I don't blame ya. But I'm ahead of you, Red." Ethan stepped forward again, getting even closer to the range of the battling Pokémon. "You will not be able to hear anything… when we go turbo!"

Proto's head cocked a bit to the side after hearing that special word. It was their code, the line to make him go faster than ever before. So, the valiant Scizor prepared his thin legs and waited for the finishing move.

Ethan began to run all the way to his previous spot again, and as soon as he slid back there; he tossed himself to the side and rolled out to the left, stopping after the fourth roll and jumping back at his feet to raise one fist. "One more to end, Proto!" He rallied up in an energetic way, running sweat marking his cheeks. "Time for the Red Buster."

Proto dashed to the side, faster than ever before. He took the maximum amount of distance between him and his target. Four taps to the side, he trailed to the left in an equal number of times as Ethan rolled on the snowy ground; Setting his feet in place, he was ready to unleash everything.

"Right side!" Red's voice stormed loudly for the first time; his words prompting Charizard to raise one arm to the said direction and timely catch the flying blow incoming from Proto's shining claws.

Ethan's eyes widened almost as much as Proto's eyes did. He even gasped in pain when Charizard punched his Pokémon at the side of the face, sending the red bug rolling down into the floor. He then switched his gaze to the other trainer, standing taller than ever in front of him.

Red looked at him and the faintest of smiles appeared on his lips. "No need to hear it, when I can see you do it."

Hearing that sent chills up Ethan's spine, any momentum he had in his brazen confidence against Red instantly cooled down to apprehension again; this battle is still far from over.

'What a freaking monster!' Brendan just found himself dumbstruck because of that red-eyed trainer yet again. He found utterly confusing, and unnecessarily stupid, each and every movement Ethan did while commanding his Pokémon. It was like watching a kid trying to imitate how Pokémon do battle, but instead guiding the Scizor in a very detailed and fast manner to not only confuse their opponent but also catch them off guard.

That being put, Red not only was able to remain cool about the whole silliness of the situation, but he was also able to read Ethan's command to Proto with just a third glimpse at the weird technique.

Brendan never felt himself more out of his league as he is feeling right now, and even if he is rooting deeply for Ethan; he cannot help himself but admire how absurdly amazing Red is as a trainer.

"Proto, let's change back…" Said a less enthusiastic golden-eyed boy. "Sorry…" He trailed his gaze in a downcast way to the side, feeling disappointed and angry at himself. So keenly aware of battles and their unraveling situations, Ethan's knows that Proto stands no chance as it is against that Charizard, he knew that from the start. Because of this, he tried to change the flow of the battle by taking charge of the Scizor's movement himself, but now that Red is able to read him like an open book, continuing with that would only create an even bigger disadvantage.

Countered in his special strategy, Ethan got relegated to be a sideline spectator to the one-sided beating his fast Scizor was suffering from that powerful fire breathing dragon. Even when he tried to command Proto with words or signs, the metallic bug had little success in landing any attack; only being able to dodge a few of the burning waves flying his way.

It took Proto sliding harshly with his back against the ground for Ethan to call his Pokémon back and forfeit this one battle. Doing so he frowned deeply and sighed heavily.

Despite his outstanding skills and amazing capabilities as a trainer; Ethan is still very young, hot-headed and inexperienced. This shows heavily each time this match has a turning point, where he is overjoyed when one of his Pokémon stands victorious against the opposition and when one of them is beaten, he gets silent and sulky. To his prejudice, the latter type of reaction is still the strongest one and it is also the most evolving one; with him getting less focused and more anxious at each loss.

At this moment, he is holding two Poké-Balls, one in each hand. While his right hand is clenching heavily its hold on the little round object in its palm, Ethan's gaze is fixated on the purple one at his left hand; a trembling hesitant gaze in his eyes.

Brendan, looking at the same purple Poke-Ball through the lens of his friend's eyes, feels a nasty poking edge at his chest. Such a powerful and painful sensation, that it was almost as if someone was stabbing him in the heart with a sharp knife. Staring at that purple thing he recognized this feeling, this hesitation; It is one he has felt himself in multiple times while looking at Groudon's blackened prison.

'I know how hard it is, Ethan…' Brendan spoke without even noticing it himself. 'The temptation of taking the easy route, how hard it is to refuse the urge, how rotten it feels to give in.' A very vivid image of Brendan stuck in his bedroom, staring at his wardrobe, flashed across his eyes, one of his restless days coming back to haunt him at this moment.

"It's you and me, partner." Ethan's soft whisper pulled Brendan back from his traveling thoughts, taking his attention to the fact that his friend has put the purple ball away and is holding only the other one in his hands.

Ethan hurled the thing at the center of the arena, the sparkle of youth returning to his eyes as the Poke-Ball split itself into a show of light and erupting flames.

"This is your last stop, Red." Ethan proclaimed loudly and brazen in his usual way of taunting people. "I'll recognize the strength of your team, especially your Charizard. However, he is quite little when paired against Flames. Your strongest Pokémon versus my strongest Pokémon, this is the final straw of our battle… Champion."

Flared up by his trainer's words, Flames let his voice roar fiercely around the arena, the blistering fire collar at his neck getting twice higher in its height in this demonstration of ferocity.

Impassive as always, Red just looked at the younger boy. However, just this once, the pale champion let a ghost of an amused smile appears on his lips, forcing him to bring a hand to his head and hide half of his face as he adjusted his white and red cap in place.

Likewise, when Proto was facing against that orange beast of a Pokémon, using any type of intricate tactic would prove most useless. This Charizard excels in his defensive prowess, while also dishing out some nasty attacks; forcing Flames to waste energy to try and confuse the opponent would only tire him out.

'No need for that.' Ethan smiled as he stared at the large back of his Typhlosion. 'His harden defense only needs an overwhelming blast for it to shatter to pieces. If anyone can do it, that it is you, Flames.'

"Partner!" With a booming voice, Ethan called out to his Pokémon. "Go get him."

If Flames' roar was loud before, this time he deafened any other sound daring to exist at the peak of Johto. His thundering voice bending the mountain into a silent submission as the blue and yellow Pokémon charged forward with a stomping dash, with his sharp eyes stuck on Charizard's form.

One fist coated in fire flew at a high speed towards the orange dragon; the response was swift and effective, as Charizard raise one of his wings to meet the punch and block it entirely. Quickly retaliating with a fire punch of his own, Charizard exploded his right hand at his opponent's cheek, the sound was painful as the hit itself and the small shock wave coming from it pushing the falling snow away from those two.

As powerful as Charizard punch was, his arm instantly stopped moving when the attack clashed on the Typhlosion's head. Still having the dragon's fist attached to his cheek, Flames twitched his face a bit to the side just to give the other Pokémon a unfazed look; then with one swing of his upper body, he exploded his right fist forward again, this time twice as fast and engulfed by flames two times bigger than before.

It was like watching a grown-up person trashing a little cushion doll. Flames explosive punch was so devastating, that at the moment his fist connected with the lower part of Charizard's chin, the orange dragon got ejected to the air in a spinning twirl. A second, just as powerful, **Fire Punch** came crashing from above, this one pressing Charizard's form against the ground in a shattering pressure.

From the landing impact, a steaming heatwave exploded in a circle, melting any left-over solid snow into a warm pool of water, cascading down onto the side of the mountain.

Fighting to free himself of the opponent's hold, Charizard swung his long tail in the air, bashing it in a whipping like motion against the side of the towering Typhlosion, sending him sliding back to the center of the arena. Clawing himself up from the ground, the angered dragon opened his mouth and unleashed an inferno wave of fire at his opponent.

Staring at the spiraling wave, Flames stomped each of his foot on the ground, taking a firm hold of his stance, he just allowed the attack to explode on him, head-on. This wave transformed into a swirling tornado of flames around its target, burning the ground and the air around it with its heat. But as the flames died out, Flames stood strong in his spot, a few charred spots in his body yet a resolute look in his face.

Letting the fire collar on the back of his neck explode wildly, Flames got down in four onto the ground, aiming his mouth at his opponent. From within him, an equally devastating wave of fire exploded out, burning out any left unscathed ground that had endured the last blazing attack. Charizard spread his wings to try and fly away from that raging blast, but instead of doing so, he just curled them around his body, forcing him to endure the attack in the same manner that taunting Typhlosion did.

A stubborn idea that the dragon instantly regretted. Flames attack was not only more forceful in its push, but somehow those blazing flames were a lot hotter than what Charizard himself had released. One more time, the dragon got pushed down into the floor, this time leaving his wings heavily wounded in the attempt to withstand that attack.

'This is over. The difference between them is too big.' Brendan mused to himself, as he watched Ethan's Typhlosion heavily outclass the other fire Pokémon. 'Flames, huh… I wonder if Ekkisu would stand a chance against him.' A warm chuckle escaped the young champion, Ekkisu would probably hit him again if he heard this, mostly for Brendan doubting him but also for making him fight a Pokémon this crazy strong.

Livid in rage at how much weaker he is looking against that fire-type Pokémon, Charizard just ignored the hard and long training drilled in his head by his trainer. So frustrated and furious, the dragon just charged forward, much to Red's disapproval as the boy shook his head at his Pokémon uncaring action.

At each punch, scratch or bite that Charizard would dish out at his opponent, he was receiving a double paced retribution, with Flame's attacks having lasting effects on him while his attempts where only bruising the other Pokémon. As one upwards hook landed at Charizard's belly, the dragon fell to both knees on the ground, gaging heavily at the pulsating pain throbbing from his stomach.

With a quiet bewildered grunt, Red called his hot-headed Pokémon back, giving to Ethan his fifth win and match point.

Where Charizard fell, Flames stood tall and strong; the imposing Pokémon glaring at Red with a scary sharpness on his eyes. The trainer behind him was all smiles and confidence; Ethan as always is having a hard time concealing his growing enthusiasm, in his head, he was already the victor of this match.

So much confidence was swirling inside his chest, that Ethan stepped forward again just to address the other trainer. "Come on, Red. Choose your next Pokémon and let's be done with this. It's time for a new Champion to rise."

To the provocation, Red just eyed the other boy with a quirked brow. But as Ethan requested, he needed to call the next member of his team. But it would seem that the last member himself was more than ready to jump in action, the little Pikachu leaping from his trainer's shoulders all the way to the center of the arena.

'A Pikachu?!' Ethan almost roared out a burst of laughter as the yellow rodent landed on the ground. 'I thought the little plushie toy was his pet friend. He actually is going to force that pint-sized Pokémon to face off against Flames?'

"Are you ready to continue?" Red's stern voice crossed the arena, taking Ethan out of his inner monologue.

The golden-eyed boy cocked his head to the side, giving one of his 'looks' at the other trainer. "Hah! Sure, man. We were born read-".

Ethan's vision became an instant blur of faint blue, his ears got flooded by a ringing noise, both of his hands flying to his head as he squinted his eyes in pain. It was like a giant thunder had crashed on top of Mt. Silver.

Took Ethan more than several seconds for him to get his proper vision back, his hearing was still a mess of noises and a minor headache had made itself present. Shaking these sensations away, he scanned the arena with a perplexed look at his face, he searched for Flames but found nothing but a giant crater at the side.

"Flames!" He called out, his own voice sounding like a muffled mess of sounds to his ears. 'The hell happened here?' A cold shudder shook his shoulders as he glanced at the small yellow Pokémon jumping out from the wide hole, he himself has made. "Come on, buddy. Where are you?"

From the left side, a fresh mount of snow began to shiver and crumble as a bruised Typhlosion dug his way out of it. Taking even normal steps forward was proving like a gigantic task for Flames, as yellow flashes of static ran all around his body, paralyzing his members.

"You got it wrong before…" Red called out to Ethan. "Charizard is not my strongest Pokémon."

Responding to his trainer's words, Pikachu dashed around the arena, his movements looked a lot more like a bolt of lightning than a Pokémon running.

Mouth agape, lifeless arms trembling at his side; Ethan had a blank gaze onto him. This shocked expression changing a little, but the bright golden glow in his eyes vanishing for the moment. "Full of surprises until the end… I couldn't ask for a better opponent than you." A thin line of a grin showing on his lips as he calmly recovered a bit more of his concentration.

" **Ethan…"** Flames' rugged voice called to his trainer. **"I can do it… I will take that little rat down."**

'I know you can…' The words while crossed his mind, never made their way past his lips. Instead, Ethan just nodded to his partner. One of his hands going down to the front pocket of his pants and softly tapping a Poke-Ball.

While the lack of proper response felt strange to the fire type Pokémon, Flames just accepted the nod as an answer, taking his full attention back to the dashing yellow streak.

For Flames, it was dizzying to try and follow Pikachu's path. It was too fast for his eyes to catch, like trying to gaze at a falling thunderbolt. The crackling noises he makes at each turn was sickening to hear as if at any moment another lightning strike would soar down from the sky.

It was only when a zapping noise erupted from above that Flames made his movement, dodging to the side as quickly as he could to escape another devastating thunderbolt. Yet, as his feet landed on the slippery ground, a flashing streak crossed his line of vision and Pikachu's charged tail whipped at his face, almost toppling Flames down on his sides.

Another thunder falling from the sky and dodged by the nimble Typhlosion, another charged up tail bash struck at his head. This pattern continued to go on for more than seven times, each one leaving Flames in a worse state than before.

" **Ethan..."** Flames' voice is raspier than before, showing how hard is for him to just still be standing, imagine talking or fighting. **"I can… do it… still can… do it."**

He cannot.

That was Ethan's immediate thought after looking at the horrible state his partner is in. Just looking at this fight anymore was downright torture, it was tearing Ethan to pieces seeing his Typhlosion gets bashed from one side to the other, he could not stand it anymore. Even worse, his chest was a profound mess torn apart by his immense desire to win and anger of seeing Flames get beat up so easily.

'I have no choice…' Ethan brought his hand to his pant's pocket again, this time he grabbed the Poke-Ball fully in his grasp. 'Flames… I have no choice, I need to… I want to win.'

" **DON'T DO IT!"**

* * *

Ethan jumped out from his seat. He was practically standing in the middle of the screen, impending everyone else's view; but no one made even a slight noise of complaint. They are all too dumbstruck to even say anything.

Feeling his heart carve itself into a miserable hole of regrets; the young champion clenched his right fist, pressing it against his chest.

"DON'T DO IT!" He practically screamed at the monitor. "Please… don't do it. Fucking lose the battle but don't do it…"

It was all flushing in back to his memory now; the moment he pulled Lugia's Poke-Ball out, the moment the called Flames back… That look in Flames' eyes, one of absolute betrayal and sadness. Ethan would not be able to withstand looking at that again.

'I know we can't change the past… but please… believe in him, stick with your friend until the end.' Ethan closed his eyes and pleaded, with all his devotion, with every bit of his being. If there was a way of even for a moment undoing what he did that day, it would be worth it.

* * *

" **DON'T DO IT!"**

'Ethan?!' Brendan felt this imaginary world of memories tremble in its entirety. His friend's voice echoing everywhere, but not the one he is currently present with, but the older Ethan the one he got to know first in Hoenn.

This call for help shook the fabric of this reality, making time as it was flowing stop for a moment as Brendan got overwhelmed but two streams of emotions. One from the present Ethan, his burning desire to win, and, the other from the future version of him, a desperate plea to heal his still-open wound.

As much as Brendan was rooting for Ethan's victory in this battle, his own heart resonated with older Ethan's feelings. He once felt great regret in his life, he still feels it sometimes; if only once he could change that, he would take the opportunity, he would cling at it as if his life was dependent on it. And so, for his friend, he did.

Taking as his strength, the burning feelings of Ethan on the other side, Brendan pushed through the merciless chains holding him in his spectator's place. He fought and pushed against everything, even time itself, making an unimaginable struggle to go forward and take control of this single moment.

With the first chain of light disappearing into nothing, Brendan's eyes opened themselves up a second time, even if they were open before. It was like wakening up from a dream and taking control of his body fully again, but this was still happening inside of Ethan's memory.

Brendan stepped forward, taking over Ethan's body. "I believe in you!" He forced his throat to comply and unleash his voice as loudly as it could. These words reaching the beaten Typhlosion and making him look back at the boy. "I know you can do it, Flames! Show them how strong you truly are."

With the interloper's intervention, this world of memory began to crumble and fade. As Brendan tried to change the past, time itself began to fight back against him, destroying this memory little by little with its all-consuming light.

With Mt. Silver getting slowly swallowed by the lifeless white void, the battle in itself had not stopped.

Flames glanced back at this trainer for a moment, a surprised look in his face but a giant smile taking hold of his features. The fierce Pokémon pulled his right arm backward and locked his gaze at the impossible fast Pikachu. He is bruised, beaten and hurting, but those words coming from his friend had given Flames every bit of strength he had needed to push forward at least one more time.

He waited for the sky to buzz and crackle again, he firmly stood his ground, letting the raging thunder collapse on top of him, only intensifying his pain. However, his focus was absolute, and as Pikachu flew in at him yet again, tail charged up and ready to strike. Flames let his right fist swing true at his target, a blazing coat of fire surrounding not only his arm but his entire body as his response let itself be known to the terrifying small creature.

The punch landed squarely on Pikachu's body, a giant wave of fire exploded on him, taking over the small curtain of electricity Pikachu had made, practically devouring the rodent's attack and giving it back to him ten times worse than it was before.

As this scene burned up in Brendan's eyes, the world flashed all in white. He saw Flames explode the Pikachu to the other side of the arena, then falling forward with his face on the ground, a giant smile on him.

Flames quickly faded to nothing, Pikachu also disappeared, as did the mountain and the sky. Getting pulled back by the tyrannical light, Brendan saw one last thing before he himself disappeared. The figure of a tall pale boy, staring at him with piercing scarlet eyes; Red watched him quietly to only then give him a sincere smile and nod approvingly.

"Congratulations… this is your victory."

Then, nothing else.

* * *

To everyone watching, the screen slowly faded to white and then to black as any visuals got shut down.

Celebi, the poor thing, collapsed to the side after exhausting herself beyond her limits. Like before, her small body returned to her home as it quietly faded away from the room.

As panic was about to explode on the room, for the little helper's disappearance and the sudden blackout of the screen, Spiegel himself shot up from the ground; his eyes startling wide open and a loud gasp for air coming from the boy.

Steven, Zinnia, Wally, and May; all of them jumped from their seats startled at the doppelganger's sudden reaction. May instantly began to sob looking at the confused looking boy, Wally at her side was almost sharing the same reaction as her, but he was holding in his tears, settling to just stare at his friend with a relieved expression.

"B-Brendan…?" Steven called out to him first, given how frozen in place Zinnia is on the other side of the room.

A pair of deep-blue eyes glanced at Steven. Lingering on him for a moment and then traveling all the way to the still-open door at the front. Taking no time to say anything, Spiegel/Brendan, jumped to his feet and sprinted out of there, dashing in a crazed way towards the dim-lighted hallway.

"W-Wha?! Where is he going?!" Wally ran to the door just to see his friend make a turn at the end of the hall.

Getting scared out of her daze, Zinnia sprinted right after to her possible running boyfriend. Her own desperate stampede after him prompting the other three to follow her and go after their escaping friend.

Only Silver and Ethan remained back in the room, with the red-haired one watching as his partner was looking down at the floor, with his face hiding behind some shadows.

Now, understanding at least a little about this borderline traumatic event on his lover's life; Silver stepped closer to him, putting one of his hands at Ethan's back. "How are you feeling?" Just as he asked, light shivering crossed the other boy's body.

Two little droplets fell onto the floor, followed by a quiet sob coming from the raven-haired trainer. "I'm such a dumbass…" His lips quivered into a little smile as a few sobs escaped from him. "You were able to do it, Flames… I should have trusted you."

Taking Silver by surprise, Ethan quietly turned to him and pulled the pale boy into a tight and needy embrace. Overwhelmed at first, but understanding of it; Silver wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend's back, letting him sob quietly against his shoulder.

"Thank you…" Ethan whispered quietly.

Just as Silver was about to ask what was that about, he heard Ethan said that another time and then repeat it once more. It felt distant, personal and most of all, not entirely directed at Silver himself; but the red-haired could guess to whom those words are meant to.

* * *

With Zinnia at the helm of the chase, the group continued their sprint inside the maze that is the abandoned Team Rainbow Rocket's base. At the mid-point section, most precisely at the second row of climbing stairs; Wally and Zinnia increased their running speed twice more than what they were doing before, sadly May and Steven are not as athletic as the other two, both stopping to catch their air and then taking things a bit more calmly or their lungs would probably explode out of fatigue.

To the duo ahead of the rest, reached the entrance of the cave right on time to see Spiegel pull his cerulean Poke-Ball out from one of his pockets, promptly throwing it at the ocean's waters.

"Bre… HEY YOU!" Zinnia shouted at him, the tanned girl desperately trying to reach him in time. "Stop running, dammit!" She managed to step on the more sandy/rock covered spot at the edge end of the cave where the sunlight is lazily warming it up; but right then she could only watch as he jumped into the water, submerging deep into the sea.

As Spiegel sunk below vision, a large shadow deep bellow began to move at an impressively fast pace, covering the distance between Lilycove and open sea in a mere moment.

"He… escaped…" Wally jumped down from the broken platform, landing next to Zinnia as he tried to catch his breath. "Is he thinking straight? I mean, what is the deal about running like that?"

A pair of emerald eyes glared at Wally, the gritting frown on her face is showing the size of Zinnia displeasure with all of this.

"That shadow, he called Kyogre out just to zoom the hell away from here." Zinnia reached for one of her own Poke-Balls, her gaze going back to the blue horizon ahead of her. "That stupid jerk, if he thinks he will get away from me so easily… I will make him regret getting this idea."

"H-Heey…" May popped out at the base entrance, her face even more pale than usual after losing her breath more than twice on her way here. Behind her is an equally exhausted Steven, looking just as confused as she is.

"Where… is… him?" Steven asked in between long breaths, the poor scion almost gagging in his desperate breathing for air.

Wally shrugged at the question and pointed down with one finger. "He jumped into the water and vanished to who knows where." Tired from not only this little sprint rush but also the shaking experiences from before, the green-haired gym leader plopped his back on the ground, looking for a little rest on the soothing sunlight. "The way I look at this, we will just have to wait it out and see."

A gush of sand flew Wally's way as Zinnia kicked in his direction, the boy barely had time to close his mouth before it hit him. "You wait all you want." She snarled at him, who looked indifferent to her outburst. "I will go after that sneaking bastard and bring his fleeting ass back, even if I have to kick him all the way."

Wally rolled to the side, resting his head against one hand as he laid down. "Well, good luck with that… I had my share of Brendan chasing for the day."

"Hmph!" Zinnia puffed heavily from her nostrils. She finally pulled a Poke-Ball out and casually walked to the border of the sea. "I don't need any luck… I just need a dragon."

* * *

" **Are you alright, kid?"** Kyogre watched his guardian stumble towards the messy beach, the boy coughing water like he was some sort of fountain.

Spiegel nodded weakly; his mouth way too busy puking out water for him to reply to the titan with any words.

" **Half-witted was always a trait I recognized in you, but not at this capacity."** If he was capable of doing so, Kyogre would chuckle at the boy's stupidity, and even more so at his desperate reaction after they emerged back from the deep. **"Next time you drag me into a hectic trip, make sure to stay out of the water… You're human now, after all."**

Ignoring the smartassery coming from Kyogre of all beings on the planet, Spiegel pulled himself up to his feet. With a killing headache clouding his thoughts, he shifted his entire focus to the last thing he heard before waking up. It was like a siren's song, guiding him exactly to one spot and one spot alone.

With trepid steps, the young doppelganger adventured forward into the mess that is the ruined Sky Pillar. It is hard to walk, hard to think and even harder to process the myriad of experiences that suddenly were injected into his being; even now those memories still linger at the corners of his mind, echoes of voices and blurs of colors; all existing there while not properly being registered as his own.

"Here…" Spiegel said in a faint whisper. His trembling steps taking him further inside the ruined island. "I… am here…" He spoke again.

Taking one false step at a broken stair, his body tumbles forward; a sudden weakness taking over him. But before his knees could hit the ground, his right arm was taken in by a soft but firm grasp.

A glad little smile appeared on the doppelganger's lips, his blue gems slowly lifting up to glance at his savior.

"Welcome back… brother."

Brendan smiled to his identical little brother, carefully helping him up to his feet again. "Yeah… It's good to be back. Thank you for finding me."

A rush of strength flood Spiegel's body, giving him the energy to step forward and pull Brendan into a crushing hug. "Of course, I found you. Taking care of Zinnia would be too much trouble for me." He smiled cheerfully, tapping Brendan at the back. "Sorry, but that is something that only you can do."

Both boys started to laugh in a heartfelt way, still holding each other in a tight embrace.

Sadly, their little moment of peace came to a full halt when the giant form of Rayquaza soared above the island. His shining emerald scales spreading blinding light everywhere as he serpentines his way above them.

"YOU!" Zinnia's furious voice stormed around the flattened island, and if her tone is any indication, Brendan is due to a very harsh time… maybe both Brendans. "Is this funny for you? Running around like a headless Wurmple? Any fun in scaring the crap all of everybody, huh?" She stomped her way closer to Spiegel, her eyes practically making a hole at his back with their intensity. "Got any excuses?"

"Hm…" Spiegel pulled himself away from Brendan, rubbing the back of his head as he turned to look at Zinnia. "Maybe…"

"We got one." Brendan poked with his head above his little brother's shoulder, an impish smile on his lips.

All anger that was steaming the tanned girl's inside got blown away in an instant. "B-Brendan…?" She stuttered as her legs stopped in their tracks. Zinnia brought one hand to her lips and let out a gentle sob as her eyes began to glitter with small tears. "Brendan!" Letting her feet run as fast as they could, Zinnia leaped on them, pushing both Brendans to the ground and wrapping one of them around her arms. "I missed you… I missed you so much."

The young man in her arms squirmed for a moment, trying to get a little space to breathe under her crushing embrace. "Zinnia… Please… let go for a moment." He pleaded to her.

"Never! I'm never letting go of you, not a chance." She protested loudly, her tears now streaming down her cheeks. "I am scared of unwrapping my arms from you and you disappearing from my life again."

"Zinnia… you got the wrong Brendan." He said quietly with a bit of sorry sympathy on his tone.

Instantly Zinnia jumped away from the boy, her eyes widening with shame and a bit of guilt; those sparkling emerald gems traveling to the other Brendan sitting at her side.

Giving her a small chuckle, Spiegel shook his head and pointed to his long hair. "He is messing with you." Once again, he made sure to point at his hair and them to Brendan's short one.

Poor Zinnia went completely red, from the tip of her ears all the way to her toes; she didn't know where to look after this. Her reaction only made Brendan burst into a thunderous fit of laughter, the boy wrapping his right arm on her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"You Jerk!" She rewarded him for his little joke with a mighty punch to his chin, sending the boy spiraling down with his back on the ground, which didn't manage to take away his huge smile. She glanced at the happy man lying bellow her, his sparkling happy features melting away any brewing anger she had in her chest. "I really missed you… stupid."

Brendan hummed and pulled her down against his chest; his right hand slowly caressing her soft hair. "I missed you too, love." He planted a gentle kiss at her forehead, only to make her blush again and smile happily. "Took me some time, but at least I can say it now… Zinnia, Spiegel… Thank you for not giving up on me."

"It was hard… too hard. But I never did, not even once." Zinnia replied softly. "Aster also believed in you, and Ekkisu, and Layla and Naito… all of us continued to wait and hope that you one day would come back to us."

Spiegel, who was staring at the other way, gaze completely locked on the peaceful sun; he just nodded quietly in his spot and hummed too. "Hoenn would not be the same without you."

"I say the same to you, little brother…" Brendan looked at Spiegel, who shuddered at the mention. "Make sure to come back to us too, okay?"

Spiegel gave Brendan a look that said 'You know?', but the other boy's smile was more than enough to answer that question. So, the doppelganger relented and sighed. "Considering that Flannery would kill me if I didn't… There is no other option. One day, I will be back in Hoenn. When it comes, let's go back to Littleroot together… I want to come clear with mom and dad."

A voiced reply didn't come from Brendan, instead, he raised his left hand and made a fist towards Spiegel. The blue-eyed boy stared at his brother for just a moment and then smiled. Raising his right arm, he fist-bumped Brendan in a quiet agreement.

'Now more than ever I want to see the world, Brendan…' Spiegel trailed his thoughts to the sky above them. 'I want to grow as you did, experience weirds stuff like Ethan does all the time, get to know a lot of people like Zinnia tends to do… I want to be like you, brother… Like you, but not you.' He let out a quiet laugh at the small contradiction of his earlier ambitions with his dream of the moment. 'You are my role model, my brother… my hero. But that is not something that I will say out loud; I rather save myself from such humiliation.'

"Spiegel…" Brendan called out to him.

"Yeah?" The youngster of the 'twins' responded.

"You do know that we still share a link, right?" The look on Brendan's face is one that rivals Ethan's teasing façade, this mortified Spiegel to his core.

"…" He brought one hand to his face and completely turned away from Brendan and Zinnia. "Please forget everything."

"Not a chance." Brendan laughed as Spiegel lumped to the ground, and while one brother was teasing the other, Zinnia was left obliviously unaware of their exchange; but if the smile on her lips says something, is that she is more than fine to just be holding on to her boyfriend again.

* * *


	40. Champion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _This chapter is the first part of the dual-chapter release. Please don't skip ahead to the last one before reading this one._

* * *

"Gah… I should've listened to mom!" One loud sneeze flew out of the young trainer; A teenage boy with straight grey hair, slightly tinted with red at their tips, its length almost reaching the base of his shoulders. He rubbed both hands around the side of his arms in a vain attempt of warming himself up. "This place is soooo cold! Don't you think so, buddy?"

A rough and deep growl spread inside the hallway, the sound coming from the tall Aggron walking beside his trainer.

It's has been quite some time since the air has been getting chilly, a sudden coldness embracing the tight halls of the building. And ever since they stepped out of the last room, the boy swears that the temperature is only getting worse.

"Woah… Look at that door." He pointed at the double wooden door at the end of the hall, sparkling little gems adorning the figures carved at its surface. "Scary…"

Aggron growled again, this time nodding in agreement at the comment. But as his trainer stopped walking for the moment to stare at the craftwork wonder, the big white Pokémon tapped at the boy's small back with the top of his head and pushing his hesitant trainer forward.

"Hey! What's the big deal?!" His body twirled in a little attempt of getting away, but his companion's push at his back is not going anywhere. "You're that eager to battle again? We just got out of one scary battle."

A wave of response came from the Pokémon, the first ones sounding like impatient growls of annoyance, the rest changing more to some cry of expectation.

The boy chuckled and patted his friend in the head. "I think I get what you want to say. While everything here is scary… this is also so amazing." He sighed happily, pushing himself forward and getting back to walk his way closer to the door by himself again. "One more to go and we are there… Although, they say that since the famous Drake stepped down, his replacement is even scarier…" The boy shuddered, now getting all moody again with his shoulders hanging low and his gaze dragging through the floor.

As the boy said, Drake has finally chosen to retire from his duties to the league. While many were skeptical of anyone being able to replace the mighty Drake, soon their worriers, or even distrust, got squashed in a grandeur way. Maybe the new member of the Elite Four did so a bit too much, in a way that is not so good for his reputation, as the once stern Gym Leader is now known for a different alias.

"Wally, the Tyrant… just the nickname gives me the chills." A little cold foot was about to occur, but luckily for the young trainer, his Aggron just tackled him inside the room, leaving no room for more hesitation.

As graceful as a sloppy Slakoth waking up from its nap, the young trainer rolled inside the large room. With his back doing a splat on the ground, he was ready to shout some unfriendly words at his partner, but before he could rudely raise his voice, a surprised gasp caught his attention.

"Quite the entrance you did there…" One smooth but serious voice called out to him, the poor boy's eyes almost bulging out from their sockets.

He rolled on his back, pushing his body upwards with both arms, practically squatting back to a straight form. "H-H-Hello!" The boy shouted as loud as he could, his tripped voice making the man in front of him wince a bit at the high pitch.

"Hey there… I get that you're the young challenger making all the ruckus on the League's halls. Congratulations on making so far."

"T-Thank you!"

The man in front of him chuckled at the stiffness of the youngster, finding more than familiar his stuttering and nervousness. How many have come here all of smug and overconfidence, they all share the same trait of thinking too highly of themselves, yet here is this boy. Shivering like a green leaf just looking at his next opponent.

The fourth and final member of Elite Four, Wally, aka, The Tyrant. A nickname that the man himself is not very proud of. He earned this alias after his first year as the final member of the Elite Four. If Brendan had earned quite a bit of complaint from trainers at the impossible challenge that he is, now the poor souls trying to conquer the steps of destiny on Ever Grande have an equally big problem added to their list. In the last six months, only two trainers had successfully reached to the Champion's chamber, the rest got utterly destroyed by the green-haired terror.

Wally, now an adult man with a very athletic lean body, owner of heavy tea-green hair, some of it falling like silk at the left side of his face almost covering his eye. He is pale and tall, dressed in a combination of a training light-blue pants, grey shirt, and one long-sleeved lime-green open coat. Like his mentor always used to battle, he stands barefoot on the clean tatami mat covered floor.

"I welcome you to the last step of your road." Wally announced with a well-acted manner, a performance that would make Wallace clap in reverence. "I am the last of the Pokémon League Elite Four, Wally the Balance Keeper! Pokémon are powerful beings, terrible foes, and reliable allies. As of most things in life, balance is what reigns over their nature, as it reigns over everything else. To understand their mind, first, you have to understand your own. Are you able to see it? Do you have what it takes to understand them?"

The young trainer looked behind him, to the tall metallic Pokémon standing tall at his back, a warm smile appearing on his lips. "I DO!" He shouted his answer, a bit too louder than he needed. "I think…" The latter part came out a little bit more like a faint whisper.

Wally smiled and nodded. "Good. Because if you don't, your journey will end here!"

* * *

"Yaaahooo! We won! We won!" The energetic teenager is chirping loudly in his celebration, both he and his Aggron are jumping around like birds at the sunrise; the boy mostly running around his tall and heavy Pokémon, while the metallic menace is just stomping his feet in place, like awkward little dance.

'Unbelievable…' Wally stared in a daze at the bouncing boy in front of him. The stoic trainer brought his right hand up, holding the Poke-Ball of his last Pokémon close to his gaze. 'This boy, the way he battles is just like…'

Watching the youngster yell so loudly after winning, lightly breaks the terrifying aura he gives when he serious in battle. This drastic change brought Wally back from his dazed state, a low chuckle coming out from him as he shook his head slowly. 'Only a kid, despite all else.'

The boy, after hearing what sounded like a growl coming from the adult gazing at him, shuddered, his happy legs freezing in place as his wide-open, scared eyes traveled over to Wally.

"S-Sorry!" He shouted his apology just as loudly as he was celebrating. "I know how rude it is to celebrate in front of your opponent… I am just so happy about winning."

Wally lazily waved one of his hands in front of him, dismissing the boy's affliction easily with that gesture. "You defeated the last member of the Elite Four. It is only understandable that you would react… vividly at that victory." As the boy nodded rather energetically, with his head becoming almost a blur going up and down, Wally chuckled again and then smiled. "Congratulations young challenger. You've conquered the victory road."

The boy glanced at his Aggron, who in return looked down at him. Then after one long moment of silence coming from those two, it started again. "Wahooo! We won, Aggron! We defeated the Elite Four."

Aggron growled happily, taking his trainer on his arms and tossing the small human up to his back.

"Yet, your final challenge still awaits you." Wally announced in a cold reprimanding tone.

Boy and Pokémon both stopped cheering, Aggron quietly putting the boy on the ground again and then taking one step back to leave his trainer as the receiver of Wally's questioning gaze.

Seeing as the proper seriousness has returned to the boy in front of him, Wally relented on his frown. Waving for the youngster to step closer, he guided the boy towards the door at the other side of the room, stopping just a few paces away from it and then turning to look at the trainer beside him.

"Before I send you off to the monster's den, I would like to know your name."

"Y-Yes, Of course!" Replied the boy still stuttering under Wally's heavy gaze. "Timmothy, my name is Timmothy. But my friends call me Tim."

"You have an outstanding control of your Pokémon, Timmothy." Wally said. "It has been weeks since any trainer was able to defeat me in battle; but as remarkable as that one feat is… Yours is even greater in my eyes."

"Sir?" Tim stared at Wally with confused eyes, one brow quirking up just to add to his distressed look.

"While it is my job to send worthy trainers off to face the Champion, I always do so with a heavy heart." A minute of respite settled in, Wally quietly musing with his experiences while the boy at his side is beginning to freak out just a little. "Not one of them stood a chance against the Champion, and I knew that from the moment our battles ended." Seeing the watering eyes and the sobbing state of Tim's face, Wally could just smile and shook his head. "However… that is different with you."

For someone who was moments away from breaking down in tears, Tim's features suddenly transformed in sunshine and smiles. "Really! You think I will win?" He asked expectantly, eyes shining and all.

"No." Wally answered in all honesty, his words just crushing the poor boy down into the floor. "But I believe you stand a chance of doing so." Already twitching lifelessly on his puddle of tears, Tim rolled over to the side and glanced upwards to Wally, the man not used to so many antics as this boy is displaying. "Do you believe me to be a strong opponent?" He asked seriously.

The boy hummed and nodded. "Crazy strong… We got down to my last Pokémon, even then, Aggron had to go all bananas to win against your Gallade."

Wally smiled and crouched next to the downcast boy, tapping him on the top of his head and messing with his voluminous grey hair. "Yet, I never won against the Champion. He is just strong like that. But you showed me something special in our battle, Timmothy. That's why I believe you stand a chance of winning against Brendan, even if it is really small."

Once again, Tim's eyes flared up with a shining light of hope, his sparkling gaze asking Wally all the questions his voice would be able to do so.

The green-haired man hummed and poked the boy at his forehead. "The way you command your Pokémon team, the trust they place on you… I've seen it before. Warm and bright like a cozy light, this is your aura as a trainer. Just like a friend of mine always had on his battles when we were growing up."

"Really?!" Tim jumped out from his pity-puddle of tears, joy flushing his face anew with a slight tint of red at the bridge of his nose. "Who is your friend? Is he strong? What's his name?"

Hyperactive kids, Wally greatest weaknesses. Overwhelmed by the number of words, voice, and loudness; the Balance keeper had to pull himself straight up and trail a few steps back to try and escape Tim's shining face, which only prompted the boy to step right after him.

"He is strong." Wally sighed at the circling teenager around him. "He is the best one." Now a gentle and warm smile broke his lips apart, this small change making the energetic boy stop and stare at him in awe.

"Wow… he sounds so cool. If I could only meet him, I would love to battle against the very best."

'Hah, he has no idea.' A slightly amused smile showed at Wally's usually stoic features. "Very well, then. I've kept you here for too long, Timmothy." Stepping aside, he pointed to the wooden door behind him and beckoned the young trainer to step forward. "Go on brave challenger. Hoenn's very best is waiting for you."

As Wally spoke the words, the double doors slowly creaked open, a cold breeze passing through as the dark hallway came to view on the other side. To Tim's eyes, the door just answered to the man's command, showing them the way in a mystical way like the cartoons he used to watch when younger; unknown to him, Wally had just pressed the button at the side of the doorframe.

Taken by the mesmerizing atmosphere of the pathway, Tim stepped forward without blinking or turning his gaze away; his Aggron just as mesmerized as him, following behind the young trainer.

Wally watched as the duo walked out of his room and when both passed by the door, he closed the way behind them, leaving only the way forward to the challenging team.

"Good luck, Tim."

The boy's head turned harshly to the side, his glance going back to the closed door behind him. It was faint, but still lingering, a feeling that someone was calling out to him. Staring at that door, it finally hit him what was happening and all his sudden calmness got replaced by crushing anxiety.

Contrary to every part of the giant castle he has been before, this place is completely white. A massive hallway that seems impossibly wide to the sides and unbelievably long in its straight path.

Overwhelmed by this atmosphere, Tim got stuck in the middle of the road. His legs shaking and his body frozen; he could not take a single step forward.

"T-This… this is it!" He said stuttering heavily in his words, his trembling voice getting his Pokémon companion's attention, making the tall Aggron stop in his walk and notice that his trainer was far behind him. "W-We made it Aggron… this is the end of the Victory Road, just as the Tyrant said. Now… only the champion is left."

With his loud stomping feet echoing inside this massive blank hallway, Aggron trailed back to his trainer. The white giant leaned in closer and pressed the flat part of his head against the boy's forehead, making silent growling noises as he comforted Tim's racing heart.

A pair of slim and pale arms wrapped themselves onto the large part of Aggron's belly, tightening their hold into a close hug.

"Sorry for freaking out, Aggron." Tim said with a small little grin. "Let's face our last challenge heads high, this is the least I can do for the person who inspired me to come this far."

Seeing the glow coming back to his trainer's eyes, Aggron pulled himself away from the boy, this time growling a lot louder, with a blazing conviction.

"Let's go, partner!" Tim jumped ahead of the white steel giant. "The freaking Champion awaits us."

* * *

One terrifying dark-room was the sight Tim was greeted by, as he crossed past the giant doors. The only color he could see behind the encroaching black, are the faint little glow of the small lamps sparkling from the floor, their small beams of light going far high but never reaching anything that resembles a ceiling.

The boy gulped his shock down his throat and carefully stepped inside the place. With his first step inside the room's floor, a barrage of lights switched on, instantly flashing color everywhere and pushing the darkness away. Caught by surprise, Tim was helpless against the loud yelp that flew out of his mouth.

"I welcome you, challenger." One gentle and yet powerful voice stormed inside the room, greeting the arriving boy but also scaring him out of his shoes.

Following the ringing sound of that voice, Tim found the massive staircase standing in the middle of the room, at its top the marble-made throne in its full pure-white glory. Sitting on the said throne is a man of short straight brown-hair with the most terrifying red eyes this boy has ever seen in his life; they are glowing and sharp as if this person wasn't human at all.

Dressed with a pair of jet-black pants with double white laced-cords serving as a belt, one long-sleeved red jacket with an inner black shirt and two dark boots. His straight brown-hair is now short, a bit longer than it was before when he was a teenager, but a lot shorter than when he let it grow past his shoulder. Brendan is looking rather young still, despite being twenty-five years old now, his appearance is almost just like when he started his adult life, with a small difference of his clothing resembling a bit more the ones he used on his Pokémon contest appearances.

"You made quite the commotion on the League's halls." The champion raised his hand, dangling a small screen in front of him. "I've been watching your progress."

Under those piercing eyes, Tim is mesmerized, terrifying and most of all in complete awe. He watched every inch of movement that man makes like it is a wonder of the world, as if just him breathing like everyone else, somehow, was being special and different from all other people.

Seeing the boy, who was so hyper just moments ago in his every battle, go stone-cold silent made Brendan quirk one brow upward. "Are you nervous?" He asked calmly and the young trainer nodded his head like a machine gone turbo. Brendan just nodded back and laugh quietly. "That is understandable, but now is not the time to be frozen with nerves. This is your chance to climb the last step, go further beyond all your peers. Now step forward and push your fears aside."

The grey-haired boy stepped forward with one firm stomp of his right feet, his body going from stiff frozen to bursting with energy. He continued walking until his feet reached the marked spot for trainers on his side of the arena, his gaze never leaving the great throne in front of him.

Seeing the boy's reignited resolve made Brendan smile and hum. "That's the spirit." Placing the small device at the side of his luxurious seat, the man stood up from his throne and eyed the boy with a firm gaze. "I am Hoenn's Pokémon League Champion, my name is-"

"I KNOW YOU!" Tim shouted from the top of his lungs, a bit too harshly as his throat was left tingling with an annoying sensation. "You're Brendan… the invincible Champion!" His light-blue eyes sparkling like shining stars at a midnight clear sky. "Y-You might not remember, but I met you once… when I was a little kid."

Aggron growled very loudly, saying in his way that he too has met the Champion before.

"M-My name is Timmothy, but my friends call me Tim. When my mother and I came to Ever Grande to cheer for my big brother as he tried to take on the Elite Four, we went to have lunch in a small restaurant… You came and spoke to me." Reverting to a more shy way of speaking, Tim pressed both of his index fingers against one another, his gaze trailing downwards to the floor and away from Brendan's eyes. "Ever since that day, I… I… I TRAINED VERY HARD TO BECOME A STRONG TRAINER LIKE YOU!"

As the boy's heartfelt words echoed inside the giant room, Brendan fell into a pensive silence; his gaze still focused on the boy but his mind trailing into the depths of his memory.

'Yeah, I can see a lot of promise on you two.' His own voice sounded in his head as that day's event played itself in front of him again; the faint image of a very small boy and his cute little Aron showing right in front of Brendan's eyes.

A very large smile broke Brendan's lips apart. With his legs moving on their own, he paced down to the plain level of the Pokémon arena in the room. Stopping by his own marked spot, Brendan eyed the boy with a hint of pride in his gaze.

"I remember you, Tim." Brendan's words hit the younger trainer like one powerful wave; with arms shivering and his lips quivering, Tim's eyes got wet quickly with the first little tears to blur his vision. "And I take that the giant guy at your side is the tiny Aron from before… he sure grew to be an impressive Pokémon."

Being weak against such praises, Aggron growled happily and arched one arm to the back of his head, the heavy Pokémon beaming like a happy little toddler.

"Do you still want to become the Champion, Tim?" Brendan asked with a gentle tone.

The boy on the verge of losing himself to tears, wiped his eyes with the back of his left hand, literally shaking any other tears away as he waved his head from right to left. "Y-Yes, sir!" He replied loud and clear.

Any resemblance of warmth or gentleness faded away from Brendan's features; his face turning into the visage of a stone-cold trainer ready to crush his opposition. "Then show me how strong you have become, young challenger." The tall, red-eyed champion pulled one Poke-Ball from his pockets and prepared himself to battle. "Show to me, how strong your resolve is!"

"Yes, sir!" Tim took out one Poke-Ball of his own; throwing the round object on the arena, he started the battle he waited his whole life for, not only that; He took the last step towards the goal of his life.

* * *

Xenoblade Chronicles OST - Mechanical Rhythm ( watch?v=Q0W0VyaoZzY )

* * *

At the center of the arena an explosion of light called forth the first two contestants of this battle; first Brendan's night-terror, Naito. The poised looking Honchkrow soared above the cold marble with a terrifying regality to the rhythm of his wings.

Little shines of light gleamed from upfront, the spotlights reflecting against the metallic surface of Naito's opponent, a big Skarmory. Feeling the surging heat of battle, the silvered bird cried loudly in its spot, a menacing voice booming all around.

"Naito!" Brendan took the first step, calling out to his Pokémon. "Take the space above, don't let it get a height advantage **.** "

" **Brave Bird!** " Tim's young voice echoed inside the room, its high-pitched tone overpowering Brendan's stoic voice.

Once more, displaying his intimidating voice, Skarmory cried out loudly. His metallic wings flapped at full speed in a matter of moments, and before Naito could get properly airborne, the shining edges of Skarmory's silver wings clashed onto the Honchkrow's body, toppling him down onto the floor.

Gasping ever so quietly as his friend crashed against the cold marble, Brendan felt a rush of surprise daze him for a moment. His violet-eyes traveling to the young boy in front of him and then to the silvered bird, messily shaking his head from left to right after the bad hit his own body had to take.

'This boy…' Brendan sucked in his breath. 'Using Brave Bird in such close distance to the target and the ground… His Skarmory suffered the most in this move.' A brief second of silence flooded the champion's mind, for then a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips.

"You're gutsy, Tim. Not a lot of trainers would take this destructive path." Brendan commended; his tone not too friendly but not as cold as moments ago.

"When facing against a mountain, you break it first or its weight will kill you." Tim replied with a serious face, not a shred of his juvenile happiness showing up. "I have no choice."

Brendan furrowed his brow, taking in his opponent words with all seriousness of its weight. 'So it was a conscious decision and not a fluke…' His stance relaxed a little, but his gaze only got sterner.

From the corner of his visual field, Brendan saw the small flicker of dark-blue feathers, his right hand shooting up in an instant reaction. "Naito, use **Night Slash!** "

Without a sound, Naito flew from his spot into Skarmory's space. A dark-colored slash crossed harshly against the metallic bird's chest, the push of this attack making the Pokémon stumble backward and screech in pain.

"Again!" Brendan's commanding voice boomed loudly.

Another line of black crossed at Skarmory's chest, this time coming from the other side, making a black-cut shaped in the form of an X.

Tim hissed from his spot, the boy clapping his hands in front of him as fast and loud as he could, so his Pokémon would focus on his instead of the pain. "We have to break away, use **Metal Sound."**

Hearing his trainer's command, Skarmory shook his head forcefully to try and gather his bearings again. Getting the bare minimum to see where he is and where Naito stands, the silvered bird clashed both of his wings against one another, this impact exploding right in front of him and sending a deafening soundwave forward, taking the dark-bird by surprise.

As Naito groggily flapped his wings, pushing his body back towards the center of the arena, Skarmory took the opportunity to go airborne and float above the floor.

"Send him blasting, use **Air Cutter.** " Tim shouted, swiping his right arm in front of him.

Batting his wings in front of him, Skarmory released two razer-like wind blasts aiming at the confused dark-bird bellow him. These two arch-shaped blasts crashed against Naito, bashing him onto the floor again, but having little effect aside from that.

On his place, Brendan just grunted a bit louder than normal; his reaction getting to his Pokémon as Naito nodded with his head and took over to the air himself.

"Again, send him to the floor, **Air Cutter.** " Tim shouted once more.

With Skarmory repeating the same move as before, Brendan's lips twitched right before he stepped forward and shouted. "That move will only shove you a little, ignore it and push forward. Take him out of the air with a **Brave Bird** of your own!"

Naito chirped and curled his body enough to make himself into a powerful bullet, as his wing carried him fast in its current.

"We got them!" The younger trainer jumped in, his tone showing his overexcitement. "Skarmory, like we trained before. Put more weight onto your wings, let's switch to an **Air Slash!** "

Seeing the silvered Pokémon arc his wings even further back, quickly tipped Brendan off as to the ploy the young trainer has lured him into; but it was already too late for any reaction. With Naito flying at full speed and Skarmory more than half past his movement set, everything else just happened in a chain of events.

The speeding Hunchkrow flew straight onto Skarmory just to get completely blasted by the cutting-edge of a powerful shockwave. This one carrying a lot more than just a bit of force, it dragged Naito down to the floor all the while managing to cut a nasty wound on the bird's chest.

Naito fell harshly with the impact, paired with the fresh wound on him, it left the night-terror out of combat shape, despite the brave bird still being conscious as he slowly brought himself up to a straight form. Before he could try and swing any attacks back at Skarmory, the soothing light of his Poke-Ball was already surrounding him and calling him back.

Taking his Poke-Ball back into his pocket, Brendan watched quietly as the victorious Skarmory weakly descended from the air, the metallic bird rocking his head up and down like it was a struggle just to remain standing. One closer look to his pained face and it became very clear that this Pokémon is still heavily suffering from the backslash of his first move. At this point, even if the boy was dangerously reckless, his Pokémon would not be able to continue fighting.

Seeing the young trainer come to the realization himself and then calling his Pokémon back, basically forfeiting one spot at this battle, was comforting and reassuring on Brendan's point of view. Even if a trainer shows outstanding promise in their talents, they are worthless in the Champion's eyes, if they treat their companions with little respect.

Alloying himself only a small praising smile, Brendan promptly called upon his next Pokémon, releasing him on the arena, one blue mountain of grumpiness landed on the cold floor with his yellow eyes glaring at the opposite trainer.

"Jetto… please behave." Brendan asked in exasperation, it has been years and this Pokémon still is unfriendly to anyone that is not his trainer.

Hearing the mildly annoyed tone of his trainer, made the imposing Sawmpert grunt quietly in obedience, but his powerful glare it is still very present on his eyes.

Sweat dropping a little from that monster of a glare he is receiving, Tim quietly rolled a Poké-Ball over his right hand, tossing it at the center of the arena. A giant serpentine form appeared in front of the Swampert, one massive snake made out of steel began to cross the floor, the second row of his metal-bubbly body spinning wildly, making it look like a ferocious propeller.

Brendan raised an eyebrow after seeing Tim's second team member; waving one hand in front of him, he brought the teen's attention fully to him. "That is your second Steel-type Pokémon. Is that a coincidence or it is a thought out choice?"

"It's a choice!" Tim replied proudly and rather loudly as his voice once again echoed all around the massive room. "I always admired you, that is very true and nothing will change it. But… I also admire trainers who devote themselves to one type. I want to be strong like you and determined like those trainers, that is why I am a Steel-type specialist."

"Steel-type specialist…" Brendan pondered quietly at the boy's passionate account; it was just a brief moment of silence as very soon he was already gracing the other trainer with one appraising nod. "Most competitive trainers choose to diversify their team, one member to cover the other's weakness. It's the most rational and sensible path to take, even more so when you inspire to trail on the high-end." As he was speaking, Brendan noticed a small frown form on the boy's features, bringing him to grin at the reaction. "With that said, this only means that your path is more difficult than the others, not an impossible one."

Timmothy shook his head in an energetic motion, his gaze was never more focused and serious as it is right now. "I don't mind that. Ever since that day you praised me, I knew where my path should go. More difficult than everyone else? That is a given, I am not everyone else. I am the trainer he will finally defeat Brendan, the invincible Champion."

That posture, those shining eyes full of determination… by the world, to Brendan it felt like he was staring at the thirteen years version of himself; having the same bravado, leaving Steven speechless with his subtle but still present cockiness. Moment by moment, this battle with Tim was making Brendan nervous, static and more than all, very nostalgic of his own younger days.

'So, this is how it feels when a young trainer leaves you speechless…' Brendan chuckled, bringing one hand to his face to hide the faint little red line appearing on his cheeks. 'Now I get you, Steven…'

"Very well, Tim. I will confess that until now I was seeing you with a biased view… unfairly treating you softer than I would treat most trainers." Walking to the edge of the trainer spot, Brendan wore the same heavy glare that his Swampert has, this gaze sending chills down the boy's spine. "No more small talk or advice, this time I will face you like the challenger you are."

Tim's eyes shone even brighter at his idol's proclamation, it served as a trigger for both of them, not long after, their furious battle resumed.

* * *

"Hah, I knew the boy had guts. Look at him go, taunting our scary leader to go all out on him." The carefree Dark-type master of the Elite Four chirped happily as he points at the big screen on the wall. "Can't believe he managed to take you down, Wally." Getting a little bit too friendly for his comrade's taste, the almost bald-man leaned in over on the green-haired trainer, resting the full weight of his arm on Wally's shoulders.

"His spirit sure burns hot with youth… This is a marvelous battle to watch." The elegant icy-queen commented from her spot on the luxurious pink padded-chair, her blue eyes sparkling like those of an excited little girl.

In a misguided thought, Wally came to the Elite Four members lounge, thinking that he would able to watch that promising boy's battle against Brendan in complete peace. To his dismay, Phoebe had closely followed his steps, which then prompted her to drag Sidney and Glacia to the room as well, claiming that they should all watch together to increase their bonds of friendship.

Poor Wally could only pout and frown in silence, as his personal space kept getting invaded by his peers.

"Look! Look! Brendan's Swampert is getting overwhelmed." Said the always sunshine of happiness that is Phoebe. In her vivid reaction, the tropical beauty latched herself onto Wally's neck, her arms locking themselves together close to Sidney's arm, while her breasts are firmly pressed onto the side of his face in all their glory.

If this was years before, Wally would have gone instantly red and yelped his way away from Phoebe's embrace. But at this point, used to the borderline sexual harassment he suffers from her and Sidney, he just sighed deeply and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Hot damn, the kid won this round!" Sidney announced loudly, his eyes widening out as he saw that giant Steelix land with his body on top of Sawmpert, practically shoving the blue Pokémon inside the ground.

A round of gasps sounded inside the room, as their watchful gazes witnessed that building-sized Pokémon get lifted out of the ground and casually be tossed to the side by a fuming looking Swampert.

"The hell?! It is still fighting?!" Sidney said in outrage.

"A Pokémon like that can't be fair! Brendan always has this abnormal Pokémon that does stuff like this!" Phoebe whined as if she was the one standing against the Champion, however, her jumping around only worsened Wally already 'poor' state, as her mounds started grinding and jiggle against his face.

Already at his wit's end, Wally gracefully pressed his right hand on the upper side of Phoebe's toned belly and then not so gracefully pushed the girl away from him; earning a whimper and a pout out of the way too friendly dark-skinned woman.

"What is up with the commentary?" Wally questioned the other two members of the Elite Four. "Are you guys rooting for the kid?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Yes!"

"Absolutely."

Even Glacia jumped in on the reply train, her voice a lot more composed than the other two but just as sonorous.

"Come on Wally, aren't you itching to see someone give Brendan the slap?" Sidney poked Wally at his side with the edge of his elbow, making the 'abused' green-haired trainer jump to the side at the contact.

"I am with Sidney on this!" Phoebe jumped in, tossing both arms up to the air to make her statement more 'important'. "I love Brendan and all that, but it's past time he loses to someone! I can't stand his smug face when we go out to drink and he starts talking about his record… It makes me want to punch him."

On those words and very graphical example out of Phoebe, she is currently strangling the air with both hands; Wally had to relent. "That part of Brendan is very… aggravating." He said with a slow nod. "Seeing him getting handled by a young trainer sure would be at least satisfying to watch."

Sidney snorted loudly; one evil grin plastered on his lips. "I would call it fucking hilarious."

"Deserved!" Phoebe chirped with a spin.

"Entertaining…" Glacia said quietly on her spot, but despite the coldness of her tone, her eyes are burning brighter than those of the other two.

Seeing the always composed and noblewoman behave with such fire, makes Wally chuckle on the inside, he rarely sees Glacia so excited as she is today. "Then, it is unanimous. We, the Elite Four, are officially rooting for the young challenger, Timmothy."

"Show him what you got, kid!" Sidney cheered loudly, of course, while he was shouting his words, his right fist bumped on Wally's side once more, forcing the other man to bend forward a little.

"Woohoo! Let's go, Tim, kick Brendan's smug butt!" At this point on what can be called a natural reaction of hers, Phoebe latched onto Wally again, readily crushing his face against her breasts.

Getting ganked by the usual two, Wally tried to wiggly his way out of their 'friendliness', desperately trying to watch the match despite all the 'Phoebe' standing in his line of sight. "Can you two, please!" Wally was ready to tackle Sidney and Phoebe away from him when he felt a soft weight press on his back and the smooth skin of Glacia's chin rests on the top of his head. "Come on, Glacia… Not you too."

"It's your fault…" The blond elegant woman said in her monotone voice, a faint whisper of a teasing giggle coming out of her lips. "Being this cozy should be a crime."

With the icy-queen joining the others on his unending hell of personal space invasion, Wally could just sigh and let himself be consumed by his fate.

From the little he could see past the dark blue top that keeps Phoebe's boobs from properly assaulting Wally's face, he saw the ongoing battle shift left and right, with Tim's Steelix getting a better trade of blows each time the Pokémon clashed against one another. It was only when Swampert tried to attack his opponent from the air with a very high jump, that Steelix got a clear shot at winning, and the metallic snake managed to strike true in this small window.

Sweeping his long and heavy tail to the incoming blue Pokémon, Steelix landed a perfect hit on Swampert's body, trashing him to the far back wall of the room. Surprising every member of the Elite Four again, the aquatic terror managed to stand up and walk forward, displaying an almost impossible level of resilience. But despite his mental fortitude, his body had gone way past its limit, then his blue legs slowly gave out to the weight of his own body, leaving Swampert unable to continue fighting.

As the swirling light called back the aquatic Pokémon, a round of loud cheers erupted on the Elite Four's private room.

"You can do it, rookie! Four more to go and you've beaten him!" Sidney's voice boomed in the small room, the lingering ring of his tone pushing everyone else to celebrate just as energetic as him, but not as loudly.

Giving a little breathing room for Wally to sing his praises too, Phoebe detached herself from him, but still managed to find her arms embracing someone else, this time Glacia being the target of her affection.

This euphory moment lasted the whole while of three minutes, the time for Brendan to call forward his third Pokémon, another imposing character, this time a fire counterpart of Swampert, a tall and nimble Blaziken.

The battle of Blaziken and Steelix lasted just until the fiery Pokémon landed an explosive kick on top of the metallic snake's head. It was simple as one hit and knock out.

"They have tied again…" Phoebe said quietly, her previous excitement all but faded away with that one kick coming from Brendan's Blaziken.

Even from behind the screen they could feel the shift in Brendan's mood, he was… somehow angry. And this translated to an almost unbearable atmosphere, the mood feeling as heavy as a ton of rocks piled on top of one another.

Sidney quietly gulped, his frown saying a lot of what he is feeling right now. "Brendan looks pissed… That doesn't bode well, does it?"

Despite feeling the same dreading doom clutching at his chest, Wally was casually smiling at the scene, a reaction that made his three companions give him a searching look. "What?" Wally replied to them. "Timmothy so desperately wanted to fight against the very best… Now he is getting the very best; It has been years since I saw that look on Brendan's face."

"Whelp… it was fun while it lasted." Sidney shrugged off, lazily turning around and dumping himself on a chair.

"Aw… That's not fair at all, poor boy." Phoebe slid down to the carpet, sulking sadly as her puppy eyes stared at the screen.

The blond icy-queen quietly walked back to her fancy chair, the burning spark of her eyes all but gone. "Unfortunate… I was rather enjoying his struggle." She said nonchalantly, putting all her attention to the steamy tea set resting on the small table in front of her, and disregarding the ongoing battle.

All out of the four members, Wally was the only one still completely focus on the screen. Deep down he knows how terrifying it is to stand against that side of Brendan, is like facing an unrelenting current ready to sweep you away with one move. Yet, something inside of him was giving him a small hope, a faint chance that this boy could withstand this.

'Now it's showtime, little Timmothy. Let that flame inside of you burn as strong as ever, or you will share the same fate as all the other that came before you.'

* * *

A running line of sweat slid down Tim's stiff face, an occasional twitching of his lips being the only changing on his features for a quite long time now. Each step he takes in this battle is more nerve-wracking than the previous one, at each Pokémon he manages to push down and defeat, his opponent calls forward one that appears to be twice or three times as strong and this is insanity in every way.

In his team, there is nothing close to such disparity, each one of his Pokémon are almost equally on the same level, but with Brendan? That seems a norm that is currently non-existent.

The Champion's Blaziken was fast, strong and ruthless at each of its strikes. Dashing and kicking across the arena, Tim was only able to take down that monster of a fighter, because he has a special addition to his team, a Milotic. After getting told that he was not allowed to fly to Ever Grande, the young trainer was forced to capture and train an aquatic Pokémon; that decision proved to be a fate changing one, as that single out Pokémon was able to take down Brendan's Blaziken with a lucky water move.

As in every other time that Timmothy had managed to bring down one of his opponent's Pokémon, the champion was ready to unleash a beast even scarier than the one before. This once was a small Swellow, as pretty and inoffensive as she looked; that flying menace just obliterated Tim's Milotic, not even one single move managing to land on that swift blue streak in the air.

Pushed down to his fourth member on his team, Tim relied on the fighting prowess of his Lucario. Using his steel-hard fists and his psychic affinity, Lucario trapped Layla withing a ring of stones, all the while punching stone pellets at the caged bird. Even with an abnormal resistance to her natural weakness, Brendan's beloved Swellow succumbed to the relentless waves of flying stones and psychic moves.

Taking down any trainer to his fifth member, while you're up one and that Pokémon is still very much rested to the fight the next battle is a massive advantage, and an almost guaranteed victory. Then why is the young trainer sweating his weight out and is on the verge of hyperventilating?

That would be because of Brendan's Fifth Pokémon, the green monster named Ekkisu.

Without sparing many details, Tim's Lucario while putting up a decent fight on his part, he was completely useless against that Sceptile; and this comparison is not even funny. While every other match was one-sided for one trainer or the other, they at least were able to push their opponents to give their maximum, to outthink and overperform their counterpart.

In Ekkisu versus Lucario's case, the metallic fighter had just one chance to strike at his foe; which resulted in him getting slammed against the ground after one slash of the Sceptile's leaf-blade.

"We can stand here all day and stare at each other, Tim… But I rather get going with our battle." With no hint of malice in his words, Brendan called the boy's attention that only then got him back to his senses.

Gulping his growing fear of that one Pokémon down his throat, Tim grabbed in his hands the last Poké-Ball still tucked in his left pockets. Before tossing the object in the arena and calling his next member out, he stopped for a moment and eyed the ball for a few moments.

'This will give him a scare…' A little remembrance flashing on the boy's mind, the words of that strange person who meet him months ago before this day. "I hope you were right strange guy." Seeing the 'ghost' of a tall blue-haired man appears at his side, giving him that silly smile he always had on his lips; Tim hurled the Poke-Ball forward, trusting his newest member to stand up against that green beast.

Feeling somewhat impatient with the boy's delay, Brendan didn't even realize that the tip of his right foot was quietly but steadily stomping on the floor; that is until his eyes landed on the broad Pokémon appearing on the arena.

"W-Where… where did you get that Pokémon?" Asked the startled Champion, his eyes never leaving the form of the boy's Metagross.

Brendan's sudden shift was puzzling to the younger trainer, the man who was the perfect image of focus is now staring at him with a confused gaze. "I got it as a Beldum…" Tim started. "One day, I met this strange guy on the road. He was really funny but dressed very oddly, his messy blue hair didn't help his image either… Anyway, we spent two days traveling together. He taught me a lot of things, before parting away he gave me a Beldum."

"Did he use a long-sleeved dark shirt with metal tips at each sleeve?" Brendan asked out of curiosity.

To which the boy eyed him with surprised recognition. "Yeah, he did! How did you know? Do you know him? He said that my Beldum would give the Champion a scare when he gets to see it."

"And it did…" A low chuckle quietly escaped Brendan's lips as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "The strange man you met is a friend of mine, a close friend." Once more, Brendan's features softened when he eyed the kid in front of him, this time it was impossible to suppress this growing sensation in his chest.

'This boy got your approval as well, Steven?' Mused in silence the brown-haired Champion. 'You gave me a Beldum saying that it was a token of your choice, the choice of a new champion... Is this the way you found for pushing me into a decision?'

Pushing this thought aside for the moment, Brendan regained his deadly focus yet again, his change of stance and attitude made the younger trainer jump back into his stiffness of before.

"Ekkisu, it seems that our friend Steven believes that we found our match." Brendan commented with a borderline sarcastic voice, the sultry tone of his words sounding strange in a straightforward person like him. "Let's prove to him again, how strong we can be."

Giving his trainer one quick glance, Ekkisu shifted his glance towards Tim and not at his Pokémon strangely enough. Frowning deeply, practically glaring at the youngster, the tall Sceptile readied his arm-blades, raising them both in front of his head as his legs bent into an offensive stance.

Tim heard one loud whistle echoed inside the room, instantly he felt goosebumps take over his skin. He has heard and even read so much about this tactic, one that he was almost disappointed he was not a victim of until this point, but now dreading the thought of going against it. Brendan was commanding his Pokémon without speaking any words, but the boys know this tactic from countless books he has read; his only problem is doing something about it.

" **Agility** quickly!" Tim shouted his command erratically, the sudden outburst doing more to confuse his Pokémon than guide him, but Metagross did what he was told and lifted a portion of its weight, letting him float twice as fast as before.

So imperative was this preemptive move, that without it Ekkisu would have clashed both of his leaf-blades on his opponent's head with a destructive **X-Scissor.** But having his body faster, allowed Metagross to dodge to the side in pure reflex, the Steel-type Pokémon staring at the Sceptile with huge widening eyes, surprised to see that blur of green getting at him so fast.

"He is within range, hit him with a **Meteor Mash**!" Tim ordered loudly.

His Metagross growled in response, swinging one arm at full speed ahead, he shot a meteoric like punch at the still bouncing Sceptile. Another whistle ringed true and with its noise spreading, Ekkisu's form turned into a blur of green again. Dashing inches close to Metagross stretching arm, Ekkisu flew at his opponent and executed the same move as before, but this once nailing a perfect **X-Scissor** on the blue Pokémon's head.

'This again…' Tim hissed internally. 'That Sceptile is brutally strong, what is up with that?!'

Tim's observation was not wrong, Ekkisu's hits are stronger than an average tackle coming from a Wailord, and that is putting it lightly. A Metagross can withstand the heaviest of blows and still maintain his standing position, after that one combo of slashing blades crashing at his head, Tim's Metagross instantly got trashed to the floor, even managing to crack and break the marble tiles with its weight.

'But we have to withstand those blows…' He thought to himself. 'Speed is a negative for us, then one shot is all that we have left!'

"Metagross!" Tim called out to his Pokémon. "Use **Iron Defense!** "

Following the commands given to him, Metagross stood in a straight form again, clenching the joints of his legs as he reverted shift of his weight, now adding even more to his body and making his stony-skin harder than any kind of steel.

"Are you sure about that?" Came an unsettling question from the red-eyed champion, his taunting gaze making the boy shiver at those words.

The youngster had no time to second guess his choice as soon enough Ekkisu was on top of Metagross again, arms prompted and arm-blades ready to strike.

A song of two noises exploded in the room, the first gritty and hard, the second faint and metallic, like someone was dragging a knife against a fridge. Yet, as bone-chilling as those sounds were, Metagross still stands. Instead of a repeat of the previous outcome, this time it was Ekkisu's arms that went flying backward from the impact.

"THIS IS OUR CHANCE!" Tim's voice exploded out from his throat, his right arm shooting forward with a blazing fire shining in his gaze. "Metagross, blast him with a **Meteor Mash**!"

Releasing a crystal-sounding roar, Metagross just shoot two of his arms/legs forward, the pointy tip of his claws shining with glinting light as they shoved the air out of their way. This was his moment, and Tim could feel it; it doesn't matter how absurdly strong that Sceptile is, getting hit by that crushing move would bring Brendan's fifth Pokémon down without failure.

"LET'S GO!" The boy flared up as the shining light coming from Metagross' attack seemed to clash onto Ekkisu's form.

However, contrary to what was expected, Metagross' move didn't connect directly onto his opponent, a fact that was obvious as his arms passed by the green Pokémon's side; and the glowing light didn't spot spreading, instead, it surrounded the Sceptile's body, taking him inside an orb of pure light, changing his form gradually.

"That was a valiant effort… but you missed." Brendan's cold tone brought his young opponent gaze onto him, just to then make the boy shield his eye from the ever-shining orb of light that has taken a hold of Ekkisu's form.

From within that orb, one long barbed green tail came crashing down on top of Metagross's head, this one hit making the metallic Pokémon waver; right then two shining blades slashed against its broad back, completely shattering the layer of steel defense; blasting the blue Pokémon inside the floor.

Just like that, in one single moment of euphoria, Tim was pushed back in his attempt and the advantage that laid for so long withing his hands has now bounced back to Brendan's side. Metagross is out of combat and Tim is left with one Pokémon in his team still able to fight in this battle.

"That's… That's not fair…" Holding his gaze down, Tim's face is mostly hidden within the shadow of his hair. The quivering of his lips, even if barely visible, is very much noticeable as it is the trembling of his arms.

With calm but judging eyes, Brendan studied the boy's posture like a teacher watches their students. 'Was it too much for him?' Asked the Champion in a non-existent whisper. 'Did seeing his last resort fail, broke his resolve? Come on, boy. Show me what you're truly made of."

A low whimper escaped the boy's lips, or so Brendan thought; if he was truly on the verge of sobbing, why is he holding a large grin at his features?

"That's unfair you know." Tim raised his gaze, showing a vibrant look in his eyes paired together with a dignified smile on his lips. "You made your Pokémon go bananas at the very last moment, that caught me off guard." Then, surprising Brendan for the countless time since his arrival, Timmothy laughed, not one out of desperation, but warm and pure laughter of a boy having fun.

Following the wakes of the youngster's voice, heavy stepping sounds came forward. From behind him the form of his giant white Pokémon appeared, Aggron stepped inside the arena.

"Did you watch everything, buddy?" Tim asked his partner, the Aggron growling in reply sounding a lot more serious now than what he was before. "Can you beat him?" He asked more in a teasing manner than a real question, which earned him a loud scoff out of the tall white mountain of a Pokémon.

Aggron's annoyed reaction only made Tim start to laugh again, this time louder and more vividly. Seeing that exchange between the two of them made Brendan himself hold in a chuckle, it was striking to him the resemblance between those two and his relationship with Ekkisu.

"You scared me for a moment there, Tim." Brendan said calmly. "I was thinking that maybe I had overdone it and crushed your will to fight."

"You're kidding me?!" The boy shouted outraged, his bombastic voice returning as powerful as ever. "This is the best battle ever, if anything, seeing your Sceptile crush my team only made me want to win more."

This time Brendan was unable to hold in his short laugh. "That's a good mentality to have, but… How would you go about that, huh?"

"That part is easy." Tim replied with a grin, his right hand going inside his pocket and pulling something out with it. "We just have to go bananas ourselves."

* * *

"YOU CAN DO IT, KID!"

"This is the best battle of the year, I tell you!"

"I told ya! That boy is something else."

The endless amount of cheers and supportive voices would not stop erupting inside this place; a place that really should not be this loud or crowded. As it is, the Elite Four's private quarters, is not a very spacious room, but for only four people, the space and accommodation is more than enough, with enough room for each member to be comfortable and not bother the others in the process; at least in theory as Phoebe and Sidney always does their best to bother Wally in some way.

However, with that being said, when thirty members of the Pokémon League's staff suddenly invaded the room, it all turned into a tight-packet hell. Wally was reconsidering the wisdom of his choice of coming here.

Squished inside the sea of people swimming inside the room, Wally just gave up and let himself be carried by the current of people waving around. But even if he has a stone-dead expression on his face, his eyes are perfectly focused on the now 'tiny' screen at the wall.

'You're using Ekkisu as your fifth member… What are you planning Brendan?' His ice-blue eyes clenched slightly, staring at the huge smile showing on his long-time friend's lips. Then, one crashing wave of realization hit Wally right in his head, the Balance Keeper of the Elite Four jumped out from his spot and tackling people down to the floor as he stood in front of the bright screen, each of his hands grabbing a side of the TV. "DON'T TELL ME THAT HE IS…!?"

* * *

A thunderclap struck inside the Champion's chamber, then another one, the floor cracking small lines in its pristine whiteness. Of course, since there is no sky inside this massive room, this impressive wave of sounds has to be coming from another source, in this case, are the gigantic feet of Aggron's mega form.

Looking a lot more like a war machine than the gentle Pokémon he usually is, Aggron marched his way forward, crackling the air with his steps as he charged full force against the Sceptile in front of him.

Swinging his right arm forward, Aggron swept his member in an arc letting the lone white spike, sticking out from his hard shell, fly furiously towards the green Pokémon's form.

Dodging away from Aggron's attack should not be a difficult task, especially for a Pokémon as swift and nimble as Ekkisu is. However, somehow the Mega-Sceptile found it extremely difficult to just duck down and let the spike fly above his head, and in doing so he almost lost his footing.

For someone so heavy and big, Aggron proved to be quite the mobile fighter; with his right arm swinging and missing, his left one instantly traveled downward, his open claw snatching the Sceptile by his neck and bashing his body against the ground. This destructive hold while effective in its power was unable to hold Ekkisu for too long, the Sceptile managing to swing his long tail at Aggron's head, forcing the other Pokémon to release him.

Bouncing rapidly against the cracked floor, Ekkisu pushed himself up in the air by punching the ground with his full force. Getting enough height to glide over Aggron's head, he twirled his body in a swirl letting his barbed-tail spin wildly in an offensive frenzy.

One, two, three, Aggron had to find support with his claw on the ground after the fourth swing of Ekkisu's tail bashed against his face. Letting out a groggy growl, Aggron turned half-circle, aiming the long steel blades coming out of his shoulders at Ekkisu's direction; this move managing to only graze the Sceptile at the end of his tail.

A loud, long and echoing whistling flourished on the arena, Aggron twitched at the alien sound, refraining himself from getting distracted because of outside noises. Ekkisu on the other side went rigid at the moment that sound hit his ears, his arms slumped to his side and his head went into a downcast motion, his yellow eyes getting a terrifying focus and sharpness to them. Then it was but a moment before a hell of pain crashed onto the giant white Pokémon.

Aggron could only see a blur of vivid green and red colors before his head went swinging to the right, with his vision starting to tremble he raised his gaze to find his opponent, only to find a leaf-blade bashing his head downwards again.

 **X-Scissor** after **X-Scissor** , Aggron fell prey to a bloody onslaught. His heavy body is stern and durable, but in return, he is slow to react; and at this moment even his steel-made defense is cracking and rumbling. To the giant Pokémon, each of those cross-shaped cuts was more painful than all moves he has ever suffered from any other Pokémon.

In his eyes, Aggron was getting smaller and smaller; in front of him that Sceptile is looking at a lot more like a giant mountain, those blades like giant green pillars flying at his tiny body. Any other sound coming from the arena was getting overwhelmed and ultimately suffocated by those hellish sounds exploding on his metallic shell.

"ddy… at me… buddy…"

Tiny droplets fell in front of Aggron's vision, it was like he was staring on a dead-silent lake casually get disturbed by the falling drops of water coming from the ceiling. With his consciousness barely keeping up with his surroundings, Aggron was slowly letting himself waver and get swallowed by the welcoming darkness of slumber. The promise of no more pain, no more exhaustion, just blissful peace.

"AGGRON! LOOK AT ME!"

Timmothy's voice pulled Aggron back to reality, his eyes jolting awake once again, his head still swinging from one side to the other with each impact.

On the verge of tears, Tim is staring at his Pokémon with a strange look. His eyes are nothing but pure pain reflected on them, but his lips are welcoming sight to his friend; one warm and huge smile showing on them.

How hard it was to keep looking at his trainer while his head was getting trashing all around, his body arching slowly with the throbbing affliction. Yet, Aggron never let his eyes swing away from that boy's visage, he could not take his eyes away from him; it gave him strength, gave him resolve. And at this moment, his world stopped for this fraction of a second.

No sound came out from Timmothy's mouth, at least not one that Aggron could hear past all the bashing on himself. Yet, the words coming from those lips were clear as the midday sky, shining with the sun.

'I believe in you.'

Aggron felt his body filling with energy again, it was a strange feeling like this, the first time he has ever felt so strong. The world came to life in full motion once again, the once green-blurs of pain flashing at his eyes now became a lot more clear.

Curling both arms in a defensive stance in front of his head, Aggron continued to take the unending flurry of hits coming from Ekkisu, but this time he was not defenselessly bobbing from one side to the other, instead, he was standing like an immovable mountain, taking everything that Sceptile had to offer.

Even with this outstanding defensive move, Aggron was still feeling his entire system going numb, to stand strong and still is one thing, but to ignore this burning pain is practically impossible. So, instead of shoving this feeling away, he stored everything, every little cut and burn flashing at his limbs and body, he kept everything pilling up in his chest.

Tim recognized that stance, his eyes shining with a bright new light, forcing him to blink the few tears he has away. "You really are the best Pokémon ever, Aggron." Taking two steps forward, Tim raised his arm and yelled. "That is enough, buddy. Give everything back to him, unleash your **Metal Burst**!"

Resonating with his trainer's word, Aggron roared every bit of air out of his lungs; his voice so powerful that the entire tower shivered the moment it boomed out from his mouth. Locked in his unfazed stream of attacks, Ekkisu had no time to move away from the surging burst coming out from Aggron, this silver bathed barrier erupted in a speed that even Layla would be unable to surpass; ringing a distinct metallic sound, this wave of energy blasted Ekkisu with a power equal to the entirety of his flurry of **X-Scissors**.

After landing on the cracked floor, the completely bruised Sceptile had only the option of growling in pain before passing out from that outburst. In a complete reverse of roles, Aggron managed to take down Brendan's fifth Pokémon and allegedly the most strong member of his team.

More than anything else, Tim wanted to scream, he wanted to dash inside that arena and hug his partner for winning such a ridiculous match; yet he couldn't. Despite how much of a monster that Sceptile was and how difficult it was to take him down; the battle has not ended yet. Ekkisu was not Brendan's last Pokémon, that is still to be revealed and the sudden silence that befell the champion only makes this anticipation be filled with dread.

Without saying a word, Brendan took one step forward, then another one. Going completely out of the script for formal matches, he stepped out of the trainer area and marched right into the arena.

"You took down Ekkisu…" Brendan said in a chilling tone of voice, scaring the living soul out of his young opponent. "I would congratulate you, but that is nothing still." Calling his Sceptile back to his Poke-Ball, Brendan continued to walk forward right until he stopped at the center of the arena. "You will fail, boy. This is the end of the road for your little journey."

Seriously scared of the complete one-eighty of his idol's personality, Tim was unconsciously stepping backward, his eyes widening at the sight of those nightmare-inducing sparkling red-eyes.

"I will show you, Timmothy. I will demonstrate to you what real power looks like!" Moving one hand to the inner part of his long coat, Brendan brought out one ominous-looking black Poke-Ball. With this thing in his hand, his gaze went from scary to insane and rabid. "Behold, the end."

The entire island of Ever Grande shook in fear of the Titanic voice exploding in the air; if Aggron had managed to crack some of the tiles when he transformed, now every bit of the marble floor broke into a mess.

Towering over his puny opposition, the massive Molten Titan stared down at Aggron, pure hatred flowing on the gaze of that mythical creature.

Aggron was stiffened frozen in his place, and it is impossible to blame the poor Pokémon. In front of him stood the mighty of the earth itself, looking ready to kill and rip and tear anything in its path; any other living creature would cower before such a thing.

Brendan's voice sounded out yet again, this time in the form of a menacing but taunting laughter. "What's the matter, Tim? Our battle is not yet over, are you going to stand there in silence or would you rather forfeit and give up?"

Locked in a daze, and most of all utterly confused to see the person he always saw as a perfect human being behaving like the most evil of villains. This was not Brendan, no way in hell Brendan would act like this; yet here was the man himself, scaring Tim out of his body.

"I-I-I will never forfeit!" Proclaimed the boy in all bravado with his legs trembling like green twigs.

"Oh?" Brendan said amused. "And what exactly do you plan on doing?" He threw a glance at Aggron, chuckling at the frozen Pokémon. "This looks quite over for me."

"W-We will fight! R-Right, buddy?" Once again Tim yelled at the top of his lungs, throwing his Pokémon one hopeful glance, but Aggron looked at him with a spooked face. "Come on, Aggron! Don't let them make fun of us! No matter the odds we always fight head-on, isn't that right? Isn't that how we always did things? Stop shivering and let's beat that thing down to the ground!"

Pushing his overwhelming fear away, Aggron roared in reply to his trainer's words. The large white Pokémon ignored his self-preserving senses all telling him to run away, instead of running, he marched straight onto Groudon's way. Managing to get close enough to the molten beast, Aggron jumped far high even with his weight and landed a square hit with his right claw at the left side of Groudon's belly.

Aggron's effort was quite valiant and impressive, despite the odds, he charged right through and managed to scratch one of Hoenn's most dangerous creatures. However, it proved to be quite for nothing, as he landed on the floor with a hard crash, the wind of his landing went upwards and swept away the claw marks out of Groudon's body.

Brendan busted into a fit of laughter, but different for before, he had no malice in his voice this time. The Champion just arched forward, holding his belly all the while he laughed the air out of his lungs.

"Ha… Haha… You really did, didn't you?" Said the wheezing man. "Aggron went all superhero and jumped at Groudon… Hahaha!"

Staring at each other more than lost for words, Aggron and Tim were taken back by another shift of Brendan's personality. In one moment, he looks at you like he will rip your guts out, then the other, he is almost rolling on the ground from laughing so hard.

"Oh boy, that was great… I almost lost my bearings." Casually bringing his black Poke-Ball out again, Brendan called Groudon back and happily walked his way towards Tim.

"Eh… Brendan?" The boy asked him with a raised brow, only getting more confused when his idol just leaned in closer, putting one hand at his shoulder.

"That was a test, Tim. I wanted to see your reaction going against something like Groudon, and you impressed me." Brendan said with one beaming smile.

"Ah… What?" Asked the boy, still lost on what is happening.

"Oh yeah, I guess some praising are in order… jeez almost messed that up." Pulling himself straight up again, Brendan brought one hand to the young challenger's head and began to mess with his hair. "Congratulations, Timmothy. You are Hoenn's Pokémon League new Champion."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

Not only the trainer shouted his confusion as loudly as he could, but Aggron also growled his baffled words out, both him and his trainer falling on their behinds after getting hit by the news.

"Oh, right! We need to go to the next room and register your team in the Hall of Fame… What's wrong with me, I am forgetting everything today." Patting he boy on the head one last time, Brendan just turned on his heels and began trailing slowly to the door at the other side of the giant room. "I wonder what Zinnia is making for dinner today…" Already occupying his mind with random thoughts, he went along by himself, all the while musing about the doings of his family back home.

"What?! How?! Brendan?! What is going on here?" Jumping from the floor in a spasm, Tim started to run desperately after Brendan while flailing his arms in the air. "We won?" Then he stopped, making his Aggron stop right behind him. "Aggron, did we win?"

Aggron looked at his trainer and raised both claws in front of him, the Pokémon just as lost as his trainer.

"W-w-w-we DID IT! Aggron, we defeated the Champion! We won against Brendan!" Wailing tears of pure joy, Tim launched himself onto Aggron, grabbing his partner into a tight hug; the metallic Pokémon roaring just as happily while holding the boy in his arms. Lost in their little moment of happiness, the two of them kept spinning, laughing and crying for the whole lot of ten minutes, every struggle and difficult that they suffered in their journey all paying out in a huge round of cheers of celebration.

"Tim… hurry up, friend. We still have a lot of things to sign and all that." Brendan popped out from the other room, giving the pair one impassive stare.

Detaching himself from Aggron, Tim quietly rubbed his tears away, his cheeks burning red after getting caught screaming like a crazy person. Holding his gaze down to avoid the judging eyes of the adult trainer, Tim quietly and politely walked towards the door, his Aggron following behind.

"Don't need to rush it, kid." Brendan said in a calming voice, his right hand resting on the boy's head again. "You will have a lot of time to celebrate about it. Keep some of that happiness when you go tell your mom and brother, okay?"

Getting his head wrapping in the idea of sharing the news with his family made the boy beam even more brightly. "You think they will be proud of me?" He asked the silliest question of all time.

To which Brendan just shook his head and smiled. "Of course they will, Champion."

* * *


	41. Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.**

**Author's Notes** **:** _The second and final part of the dual-chapter release. If you're coming directly from chapter 39, please go back and read the previous one._

* * *

Flourishing with life and colors, the upper side of Ever Grande is a complete feast to the eye. Embellishing, even more, the already beautiful city, this part of the island is almost untouched by human hands; just trees, gleaming grass and a rainbow-sea made out of flowers. The only landmark that contrasts this wild beauty, is that small house at the top of the highest hill, but instead of disturbing the peace of this paradisiac scenery, the little house complements it, drawing in all sorts of curious wild Pokémon out to the clearing, making it a busy location to the small creatures.

Isolated from most city noises and human company, two friends are enjoying the haven that is this place, bathing their leisure time under the soothing light of the setting sun.

"You let him win… why?"

Brendan never sighed so defeated as he did right now. How many times has he heard that one phrase since he stepped out of the Champion's chamber with that kid? At this point, it is impossible to know.

"Wally, for the gazillion time… I didn't let the kid win." Almost exploding in exasperation, Brendan limited himself to just fall with his back on the grass, letting his eyes roll upwards to the orange sky of the late afternoon.

Looking at his long-time friend with a look of disbelief, the tea-green haired man scoffed loudly and continued. "His last Pokémon was wavering, more than that, one soft breeze would take that Aggron down. Instead of doing what any normal person would do, you pulled a freaking Legendary Pokémon to make some goofy joke, that I didn't get, and then proclaimed the kid the winner." Narrowing his vision, Wally glared down at Brendan, who is currently mimicking his speech with one hand in the air. "I ask you again, why did you let him win?"

"My word Wally, why are you so mad about this? I didn't let the kid win, his Aggron defeated Ekkisu and all the while he was in his mega form. Look, I was battling against him one hundred percent serious until that moment… You know that Ekkisu is the strongest of my team, the boy earned that victory." Sitting down and crossing his legs, Brendan got a stern look on his face, showing how serious he is speaking right now. "I've been thinking all this time about the stuff Steven and even you keep telling me every day. Seriously, how many years I've been holding this title? I'm tired and I was just waiting for someone that could uphold the name I will leave behind."

Wally relented with his glare, letting his frustration flow out with a sigh. "I… can understand that. But what about that show you put up with Groudon. Scaring the kid like that?"

To that one, Brendan just waves one hand and quietly chuckled. "That was funny, you have to admit."

That look on Wally's face told Brendan everything his friend thought of that joke, and as it seems he didn't find anything funny in it.

"Gah, fine… jeez, you're gonna pop a vein or something like that with the constant frown." Messing with the freshly growing grass at his side, Brendan's façade changed to a more contemplative one. "I told you, I am tired, man. But if I am to put someone in my place, he needs to be worthy of it. Because when I retire from my spot on the League, all the crazy stuff that may happen around Hoenn? That will be their business."

The persistent look of dissatisfaction on Wally's face gradually changed to a more passive one, his gaze trailing to the side as he held one hand against his lips. "You tested him with Groudon… To see if he would run away at the sight of that giant thing." Green hair swishing in a quick movement as he darted his gaze back to his friend. "What if the kid decided to flee?" He asked genuinely curious.

"Then he would have failed and would be deemed unworthy of being Champion." Brendan replied with a cold seriousness, his eyes showing no trace of deceiving on them. Then, loosing up a bit on the sudden sternness of his features, he clicked his tongue and waved one hand in front of him. "As you could see, the kid has guts enough to stand up to Groudon. Anyway, there is no point in talking about what-ifs, he won and that's what happened." A subtle look of mischief appeared on Brendan's face, his red eyes getting a special kind of glint to them. "Oh, that's right… I remember hearing that everyone on the League's staff was rooting against me, YOU included… Shouldn't you be a little happier that I lost?"

Red tint flashed across Wally's face, his gaze going down to the ground and the building embarrassment forcing him to turn away from Brendan. "Sidney and Phoebe started that… I just got swept by their overexcitement."

"Sorry, I didn't remember how gullible my friend is…" Brendan doesn't truly hold that against Wally, deep inside even him was cheering on the boy's success. However, he is more inclined to withhold that information just so he can tease Wally a bit.

" **I SAID STOP IT!"** One loud and deeply frustrated voice stormed in the area, of course, that for Wally it was just a high-pitched cry of an annoyed Pokémon.

Both trainers turned their attention to the small path coming from Brendan's house, just to see a twirling ball made of pink and brown rolling in a messy entangle to their way. Moving like a small hurricane of noises, this small ball passed by Wally and Brendan, rolling wildly until it touched a tree and it parted itself in two parts; to one side rolling a dizzy Aster and the other a groggy Linoone.

" **You stop!"** Linoone hissed back. **"Can't take words, don't come talking with me."**

Shaking her head to scare her dizziness away, Aster quickly jumped on her feet and pointed one of her large ears towards the fuzzy-brown Pokémon. **"Take it back. Take back what you said, now!"**

" **Pshht… I don't think I will."** Doing what he has learned to do best this couple of years, Linoone managed to push Aster ever further into her fit of rage; the smug little grin on his lips just making the poor pinky-ball fume with frustration.

Stomping her little foot on the ground three times out of anger, Aster rushed right in towards Linoone again, this time starting a wave of tiny little punches at the top of his head. While not very harmful in their force, her constant little jabs are enough to make the other Pokémon screech out in annoyance.

Standing still at the running show, Wally and Brendan watched the little exchange, with Wally left just confused to the commotion, while Brendan is just chuckling at their non-sense.

Pointing to the cowering fuzzy-ball, Wally looked back to Brendan and asked. "That Linoone is living with you now?"

Brendan shrugged at first, not even him is completely sure about the answer to this question. "Well, technically he lives with Flannery, but every once in awhile, Stripes appear here out of nowhere. At this point I just let him be."

"Stripes?" Wally quirked an eyebrow as he asked.

"It's his name, Stripes." Brendan explained. "Before he left, Spiegel asked me to give him this name, as a parting gift to the little guy I guess." Taking his eyes back to the two little Pokémon, Brendan's features grew a bit nostalgic and even sad. "He said that it was too weird to keep calling him Linoone, something about him being too unique to not have his own name."

Glancing back to the small tree, Wally watched as Stripes raised his upper body, standing on just two paws; to then pounce at Aster, both Pokémon resuming their previous rolling motion as a unified mess of brown and pink.

"He is certainly… unique." He said with a pause. "Never saw a Pokémon quite like him. Wild and untamed, at the same time he is so comfortable around people; even attaching himself with some."

"According to what he says, Stripes finds us interesting." Brendan started. "When I asked why he lives with Flannery but doesn't join her team, he just says that she is gentle and gives him treats, so he stays in her home. As to why he keeps popping up here in Ever Grande… That is something about my face." Saying this, Brendan brought one hand to the back of his head, messing around with his hair. "I guess it's because of Spiegel."

"Speaking of him… any word on that fugitive brother of yours?" Walking closer to the small clearing of low grass, Wally took a seat on the ground as well, close enough to Brendan that their arms are in touching distance.

One long sigh came out of the tired champion, his eyes once again getting that nostalgic but yet melancholic look onto them. "The usual I would say. He writes to Flannery once every week, he gives me a call somewhere between one-or-two months basis." Thinking about their brief talks over the phone, Brendan's face quickly brightened up, his lips parting into a shining smile. "He is traveling a lot, and whenever he gets onto a different place he sends me a picture. Do you want to see it?"

If he wanted to or not, Wally had no chance to say his mind, for as soon as Brendan asked the question he was already taking his PokéNav out of his pocket and typing quite rapidly at its buttons.

"Look! This one he is standing at the top of Mt. Silver." He brought the device to the side, making it easier for Wally to see it.

At the small screen is showing the image of a blizzard-snowing mountain, the thickness of the falling snow so heavy that is clouding most of the scenery, save for one very distinct trace of this photo that is a standing thumbs up at the left side of the screen.

"Hah, this one is pretty good too." Brendan commented happily, quickly changing to another photo. "I didn't recognize at first, but this is the base of Mt. Coronet." He pointed to the gigantic wall of rock at the back, past the lush trees.

Seeing this second photo Wally noticed a weird trend on these pictures… once again the visibility of the place is horrible, the camera was focused on just a small clearing in between some trees and at the back, a wall of brown rocks going up that probably is the mountain, and of course that signature thumbs up at the left side, coming from the person taking the photo.

"Why doesn't he take a photo of himself or at least peek with his head at the side… He is just giving thumbs up and taking pictures of nothing." Complained rather annoyedly the green-haired man.

Not really fazed by the criticism of his brother's photographic skills, Brendan just laughed and dismissed the complaints with a wave of his hand.

"He is having a lot of fun! Every time he sends me a picture, he puts a lot of happy faces or small Pokémon holding little hearts in the message." The grown-up man made a sound that resembles a giggle, a little unsettling to the other man sitting at his side.

"I don't doubt…" Wally rolled his eyes a little at the silly grin on his friend's face; just looking at those photos was enough to make Brendan beam happily. "He still sucks at taking photos."

" **Daddy!"** Aster came running towards Brendan, bopping her head on his arm as she snuggled onto him. **"Stripes is being mean again…"**

Smiling down to his little girl, Brendan picked Aster up in his arms and rested her on top of his crossed legs. "Really?" He asked with a sweet tone, clearly not taking things very seriously but still being very attentive to the little Whismur. "What did he do this time?"

Having a downcast look, Aster has her ears deflated to show her sadness. **"I was minding my own business, talking with Ekkisu back home."** She jumped from her place, her ears jumping into an alert state, ready to strike at any moment. **"He came and said that my name is dumb! That's wrong, he is wrong! My name is not dumb."**

"Of course, sweetie. Your name is cute, just like you." Brendan said with a voice full of sugar, his tone making the little Whismur giggle happily.

" **Na-ham! It's dumb."** A sly looking Linoone popped down from beneath the ground, just his head poking out as he looked up at Brendan. **"Aster?! What kinda name is that? Super dumb."** To make his mischiefs super effective, the brown-troublemaker made sure to look at Aster and grin, the poor pink-ball inflating her cheeks in frustration. **"Look at my name, Stripes! That's super cool because I am full of stripes, yours is just dumb."**

From her spot on top of Brendan's lap, Aster leaped towards Stripes, landing with both of her tiny feet onto his face, practically digging him back into the ground. After sneaking a few paces inside the earth, the taunting Linoone popped up once again against the grass, sticking his tongue out towards Aster.

In all his prank and chaos making, Stripes failed to see the growing shadow that was approaching him, only when a pair of hands was already grabbing him and pulling him out of the hole that he noticed someone standing on top of him.

"For goodness sake, Brendan. Why does this fleabag always find his way here?" Stormed out one angry draconid woman, all the while she is shaking the poor Linoone in the air. "The only thing he does is screw around and make Aster agitated… seriously, so annoying."

Still as young and beautiful as six years ago, Zinnia has changed very little. Her hairstyle remains the same, together with her simplistic but rather wild sense of fashion with her dark and red shirt, with the always provocative small shorts hugging tightly to her tights. Her figure, however, is a bit more feminine and fit, a perfect contrast between an athletic body and generous curves. To see this beauty every day is Brendan's greatest treats, and he has a rather difficult time not falling in love with her all over again each time he sees her.

On the hands of the dark-skinned beauty, wiggling for dear life, Stripes tried everything he could to get away from the scary woman, but her hold on the back of his head is way too strong for it to budge. **"Release me, Dragon Woman!** " He hissed loudly, shifting his head around in a useless struggle to bite one of her hands.

"Zinnia, let the poor Linoone go." Brendan felt sorry for the little guy, he too was once a victim of one of Zinnia's pitching hold… that was not a very fun experience. "He just keeps pestering Aster, because he likes her."

" **Crazy talk! What is there to like about that pink round stupid Aster?"** Stripes fervently denied such accusations, his wiggling getting twice as fast and wild.

Staring at the distressed Linoone with a new light, Aster quietly tilted her head to the side. **"He likes me?"** She asked a bit lost. **"Ekkisu likes me, but he is not mean, he is very kind and fun."**

Brendan just laughed at his daughter little confusion, Wally at his side just watched the scene unfold in a complete obliviousness, completely satisfied to sit at his spot and rest a bit from his busy day. The tanned woman, however, is sharing neither of those two moods.

With a strong swing of her left arm, Zinnia brought Stripes higher up and closer to her face. "Oi fleabag, you better stay clear of my little girl, you hear me!" She threatened the Linoone by shaking him even more. "If I catch any more of your funny business, I will turn you into a carpet."

Utterly terrified of her shining emerald eyes, Stripes screeched out in terror, turning himself into a little tornado of brown in his desperate struggle to get out. One lucky hit of his long tail at the woman's nose was enough to make her flinch, one uncontrollable urge to sneeze came about forcing Zinnia to let go of the Pokémon in her hands and quickly sneeze at the side.

Rejoice his freedom and the lack of a mortal pinch at the back of his head, Stripes landed on the ground and quickly vanished into the closest bush he could find. After some rustling of leaves, the frantic Linoone poked his head out again and stuck his tongue out at everyone staring at him.

" **Next time you pinch me, I will bite at your ankles, Dragon Woman!"** He vanished back inside the bushes again, then pop right back out. **"And I don't like you, stupid Aster, stupid!"** Right-back inside he goes again, this time for good as the leaves quickly stopped moving.

"Brendan… you better do something about that punk!" Zinnia threw a flaming glare towards her loved one. Her voice suddenly gaining a dangerous edge to it as she began to speak again. "Or I will, and next time I will do more than pinch his dirty fur."

Looking back to his lover with innocent eyes, Brendan just shrugged with his shoulders. Whatever Zinnia wants him to do, it would be more than inappropriate against an innocent little Pokémon and contrary to his wife, Brendan finds rather amusing the interactions between Aster and Stripes.

"Is every day in your home so energetic?" Wally asked both Brendan and Zinnia, earning a silly grin from his friend and an odd look from her. "Seriously, every time I come over there is at least some sort of commotion going on. What happened last time… Oh, yeah. The flock of Wingulls that flooded your front yard."

Zinnia snorted, crossing both arms under her breasts. "How in the world is that our fault?"

"Can't possibly say, but with you and Brendan, who would be able to?" Wally commented with another shrug. Yet, despite his little smug shade thrown at them, Wally is not wrong. Whenever those two are involved, only the craziest of situations end up happening; thus, his little hesitation of coming together with any of them in all the little vacation trips he was been invited to.

"Say, Wally. Are you going back to the continent today or are you staying in Ever Grande?" Brendan asked him.

"With your first defeat happening? I bet today will not be a safe place, for any member of the League, in the continent." Wally replied with small shivering of his back, just imagining the waves of reporters and curious trainers coming at them on full force to get any scoop about the triumphant new champion. "Why you ask?"

Brendan smiled at the reply question coming from his friend. "Stay to have dinner with us. Today is the rare occasion when Zinnia is making dinner, you won't see that everyday… or month." His head went bobbing forward after Zinnia's hand slapped him for his small comment.

"Er… Brendan, no offense but I rather not." Wally politely declined or tried to, but as soon as he started Zinnia was already on top of him.

"The hell, why not?" She demanded angrily. "Are you saying that my food is bad? Any problems with me, pale boy?"

"Look, despite many reasons, I don't have a problem with you Zinnia…" Wally rebuked with both hands raised in self-defense. "A bit of reservation towards your cooking skills, but the problem is way more serious." Brendan and Zinnia stared at him, waiting patiently for him to finish his thought. "How do I put this on words…. You two are the problem." He said firmly, to the couple's scandalization.

"Hey!" Brendan protested loudly. "What's wrong with us?"

At that, the green-haired man frowned and looked at Brendan with a façade of disbelief. "Seriously?" He asked. "Last time I came over to have dinner, you two just started to make out, right in the middle of it. Like, I mean really making out. I'm one-hundred percent certain that at the moment I closed the front door behind me, you two just went at it like two Pokémon in heat."

At that revelation, the odd couple looked a bit embarrassed by it, mostly Brendan because Zinnia has a strangely proud look to her.

"Sorry about that… Jeez, were we that lost into it?" Asked the mildly ashamed man. "Zinnias was just so gorgeous that night, I had to go and give her a little peck in the cheeks."

Now Wally was the one scandalized. "Peck in the cheeks?" He said outraged. "More like a submarine dive with your tongue inside her mouth. No way in hell I am submitting myself to that horrific scene once again. You two have fun, I will just go get something to eat in town."

"Alone?" Asked Brendan intrigued. "Aren't the Elite Four having a little get together with Drake… to celebrate my defeat?"

One violent shivering took over Wally's body, his face grew paler making him look very sick. "Are you out of your mind? They are having this small party in a bar… can you imagine it?! Sidney and Phoebe, but drinking out of their senses or what little senses they have." Now he just shook into a spasm, truly horrified by the image of those two in a drunk state next to him. "I would either get punched to death by Sidney or sexually assaulted by Phoebe, either of those is a terrible fate."

"One sounds bad, but the other not so much." Zinnia jumped in, giving Wally one studying look. "Just indulge the girl in her desires already."

"Wait, Zinnia. Wally is not that type of guy. His girl would be very pissed if he gave in to Phoebe's unrelenting advances." Then Brendan was the one giving Wally one curious look. "Wait, why the hell don't you tell Phoebe about May already?"

"I have… several times…" Wally said defeated. "She purposely chooses to forget that fact or rather doesn't care that I have a girlfriend." Getting a dead look to his eyes, Wally slumped to the grass, sighing hardly in his woes. "Between Sidney's constant 'friendly punches' and Phoebe's killing-boobs-hug, my life on those halls is a miserable experience."

"I know the feeling, hah… In my first years, those two stuck to me like I was made out of glue." Brendan shuttered himself, remembering his share of Phoebe and Sidney's friendliness. "Phoebe especially can be a bit too much."

"Thankfully for you, the hugsy-dancer got a very convincing chat from your scary girlfriend to leave you the fuck alone." Zinnia said with a scary look in her eyes, her right hand tightening into a fist right in front of her. "Then, no more squishing my husband's face between her tits."

Like a god has presented itself in front of him, Wally looked at Zinnia with his eyes radiating with hope. She was a beacon of peace and he desperately needed that solace.

She noticed the odd look of admiration she was getting from the pale man, just for then scoff and shake her head. "Sorry friend, if you want the same treatment, you will have to ask your girlfriend to scare the hornyness out of that girl."

Right then Wally's beacon of hope came crashing down to his reality of despair, the poor soul slumping like a lifeless log to the side. Even if he asked May to intervene, she's is way too nice and barely can scare little Pokémon out of her garden. Sadly, for the mighty Tyrant of the Elite Four, he is stuck in his predicament until Phoebe finds another target for her hugs.

"Haha… Hang in there, buddy." Brendan casually patted his friend on his back, from one ex-prisoner of that fate to another.

* * *

Resting on a comfy bed with soft blankets lying on top of her after a tiring night is one of Zinnia's hidden delights. Most people just think of sleep as a necessity, for her, this moment is pure bliss where she can be lost inside her sweet dreams on the comfort of her large bed. That is, normally she can enjoy this moment of sleep, which is kind of impossible right now with the person at her side grumbling and twirling around on the bad like a restless beast.

"Brendan…." She pleaded with a soft and low voice. "I love you from the bottom of my heart, but if you keep rolling on the bed, I will kill you."

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" He turned towards Zinnia and touched the small of her back.

"Actually no. I would've needed to doze off before you could wake me, but is impossible to do so with you making that much noise." Now Zinnia is the one turning to look at Brendan, as she usually likes to sleep with her belly against the mattress, her face is almost always turned to the other side. "Why are you so restless?" For the whole day she found strange his lack of reaction from being dethroned as the invincible champion, now seeing him unable to sleeps shows that he was not so indifferent after all.

Brendan sighed, crossing his arms against his chest. "Is just… I'm so pissed off right now." He puffed air out, his frown growing fiercer.

Seeing her husband pout is always heartwarming to Zinnia in a strange way, she just finds his handsome face so cute while pouting like that. Still, she likes, even more, when he purrs sweetly when she hugs at his side and comfort him on his bad mood. So, without thinking twice, Zinnia wiggled closer to him and wrapped one of her arms above his firm abs. "I know… But we're here for you. Me, Aster and everyone else."

"I know…" He looked at her and showed the most handsome smile ever, making the draconid woman melt at his charming looks. "But seriously, who Wally think he is, making such accusations like that!" And quite instantly Zinnia's delusion about her husband woes got crushed into dust. "It only makes me more upset, the fact that we proved him right by the end of today's dinner."

Slowly pulling her arm away, Zinnia sat up on the bed and looked at Brendan with a look of disbelief. "You've been sulking this entire time because we had sex after dinner and proved Wally right?

At her question, Brendan slightly misunderstood her meaning and innocently replied with full honesty. "Yeah…"

"Three in the morning, Brendan! You've been rolling around the bed ever since we came to sleep at twelve. For everything that is sacred, you better shut up and sleep, before I beat the crap out of you with a pillow." After her very loud outburst, Zinnia whipped the upper body to the other side, showing Brendan her back as she dug her head against her pillow again.

Quite scared of Zinnia's vibrant emerald eyes, Brendan had cowered to his corner of the bed, hiding his face bellow the blanket. But as the silence grew in the room again, he got out of his protective shell and moved closer to her, placing one hand at her back once more.

"Babe… don't be mad at me." Getting just an angry snort out of Zinnia, Brendan moved even closer and pulled her into a loving embrace. Touching the back of her neck with his lips, he began to plant kisses all over her skin, going from that sensible spot to the entire length of her shoulders.

Zinnia's heated mood slowly changed, melting away with the low moan coming out from her mouth. "Brendan… you better stop that before you get me going again."

"Yeah… why is that?" He continued to plant kisses on her warm skin, this time shifting Zinnia towards him and trailing to the upper part of her chest.

Another set of low moans came from her, this time Zinnia bringing one of her hands to the back of his head and grabbing at his hair. She pulled his head up towards her and snatched his lips into a melting kiss. "Look at what you've done, Brendan… No more sleep for both of us now."

Locked up in another searing kiss, Brendan smiled against her lips giving to his wife every bit of him that she wanted. "Doesn't sound so bad, does it?" He went in, kissing her deeply again.

Digging her nails onto Brendan's broad back, Zinnia tried to stifle a surging moan with little success. The more he trailed down, kissing, touching and nibling, the harder it gets for her to hold her voice in. "I-It doesn't – Ah- Brendan…" He pushed the chest part of her nightgown to the side, grasping her left mound with his mount, playing with her nipple, using his tongue and teeth to get every sort of noise out of his wife. "Keep going… don't focus only on my boobs." She pleaded with a sweet and erratic voice.

To her pleasure and satisfaction, his hands quickly began to trail down to the rest of her body; massaging her firm belly and sliding on her thighs.

"Yes… keep going…" Zinnia bit her lips in anticipation, after just a bit of teasing and touching, she is yearning for Brendan again, a feeling that only keeps growing the more he touches her body in all the ways that only him knows how to. "B-Brendan… Bre… Brendan?!" Suddenly, he stopped. No more playful touches or licking at her exposed breast. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Z-Zinnia… Can't you feel it?" Brendan brought his face up, his shining red gems wide in surprise as they stared onto her eyes. "This presence, an overwhelming presence."

Still breathing heavily and heated all around, Zinnia took some time to calm down her mind, opening herself up to the gigantic pressure flowing in the air. "I do… now that you said it, I do feel it." She looked at the direction from where this presence was coming, her senses getting sharper at this point. "It feels so familiar… is that Kyogre?"

"Yes! This feeling, it can only be him!" Brendan readily jumped out of the bed, leaving his wife exposed to the cold. "He is moving towards Hoenn, he is coming back. Spiegel must be with him, that crazy bastard is coming back here."

"You look excited…" She commented at him jumping around the room half-naked, his eyes sparkling like those of a little child full of sugar.

"Well, yeah. I haven't seen him for six years, that's too long. How does he look like, what he has been doing, is he staying? My mind can stop making all these questions."

"Just look in the mirror… he looks exactly like you." Zinnia commented with a little smirk.

Ignoring her little joke, Brendan twirled in place, glancing back at Zinnia with a frantic look. "If he is traveling at this hour, he must be using a cruiser to travel. What's is the time for the first boat to arrive in Slateport?"

"Dunno… maybe at eight in the morning?"

"That's too soon!" Brendan cried out, both hands flying to the air. "If we want to catch him by surprise, we need to get moving now." As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, Brendan jumped towards his wardrobe, swinging shirts left and right in his search.

Still waiting for that tasty feeling of Brendan getting onto the most serious part of their earlier business, Zinnia stared at her husband with a look of dissatisfaction. "Brendan, it's three in the morning. Where in the goodness sake are you going?"

"Back to the continent, of course! We need to wake everybody up, and start to plan for his arrival."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Zinnia yelled at him, pushing the blanket aside, she pounced out of the bed and grabbed him by his waist. "I would say that you can't go around waking people up, but I don't really care. What I care, is that you made me hot and willing, now you're just planning on leaving me like this?" She threw him one dangerous look, making Brendan shiver and whimper under her commanding voice. "You better get that cute ass of yours back onto that bed and take good care of me."

Even if Brendan knew that he shouldn't, he did it anyway. "Or…?"

"Trust me, you wouldn't like to know." Giving her warning as straight forward as she could, Zinnia pulled Brendan down towards her and pushed him against the soft mattress. "Loving and attentive wife first." She planted a long and wet kiss on his lips. "Missing clone/brother later… am I clear?" She bit at his lower lip, pulling it back a little right before letting go.

"Cute wife first…" Brendan watched as Zinnia sat on top of him, straddling him down with her legs.

"Good boy." She giggled provocatively. Making sure to move as slow and as sexy as possible, Zinnia pulled her red nightgown up her head, revealing her body in all its glory to her husband. "Now, let's forget about everything else but this moment." She leaned in, taking his lips into a passionate kiss. "Just make love to me."

"As you wish, my dragon-lady."

* * *

Each Friday on Slateport is a day of celebration and large movement on the dock's streets. People coming over to receive their relatives traveling from another region or people coming over to make a stall and sell their goods at first opportunity to the arriving tourists. As per usual this lively gathering of people has commenced since the first light of the morning.

Kids are running around the large avenue going to the docking area, their parents and guardians calmly following behind, chatting away as they move closer to the large ship that just arrived at the coast.

The already loaded commotion of people gathering around only intensified as the giant ladder approached the stationary vessel, the arriving travelers calmly making their way down; those with little to no baggage coming down to the dock, while the others with heavier luggage are coming out from the more secluded lower passage of the ship.

From the sea of people, one person, in particular, is getting a lot of attention as he stepped out of the extravagant cruiser, holding in his right hand the shoulder strap of his heavy brown bag. Feeling the chilly morning wind and the welcoming scent of Hoenn, a shy little smile appeared on his lips.

"This place feels the same as the day I left…" He eyed the busy streets and the populated stalls at the sideway, a little chuckle escaping him when he recognized some of the shop keepers as being the same ones that were here on the day he left to travel the world.

Differently from his peers walking at his side, he didn't go straight to the large gate welcoming them to the large city. Instead, he stepped aside and walked over to the border of the dock, standing right next to the sea.

"How are you feeling down there? Tired of swimming all this time?" He asked at the calming waters, some people staring towards him in the distance and wondering why he was speaking to himself.

" **For me, swimming is like breathing to you."** Came a deep voice from below, the profound sound of a growl mildly startling some passengers still getting out of the giant vessel. **"I hardly would tire from something so mundane. And swimming over to Hoenn was way better than just lazy all day inside that stupid ball."**

"Yeah, I thought you would say something like that." The man replied with a sheepish grin, resting his right hand on his waist. "Sadly, you need to go back for now. I need to go inside the continent and I know how much you miss me if we part for too long."

" **Preposterous!"** Roared the mighty Titan, his deep voice shaking the entire port.

Feeling the gaze of everyone resting at his back, the trainer quickly took out his cerulean Poké-Ball and called back his giant friend before he could truly rage out and scare the living bit out of everyone.

Glancing at his side to make sure that no one else was close, he brought the blue ball closer to his face and said. "No need to be shy… I know how you feel." The small object shook with a violent force, almost escaping his grasp and going to the floor. Being quick with his finger, he managed to hold it in place until it settled down and got dormant again. Feeling a bit more secure of the situation, a large grin appeared on his lips.

Having secure his precious companion from the cold waters, he turned around and quietly resumed his path towards the city.

His natural curiosity has only grown over the years of exploration, every bit of detail and slightly interesting occurrence catching his attention without fail. From running children bumping at him and saying sorry, to the small talk being shared by the older people around him.

Truly Slateport is one of the most welcoming cities in the region and this sight only warms up anyone entering Hoenn for the first time, or in his case, coming back after a long time away.

Passing by more than one food stall in his way, a grumbling sound quickly erupted from his stomach; the smell of fresh-baked sweets luring him in like a siren's call. Having no restraints on his whims, he ordered at least two of everything that looked more interesting, ending up with a paper bag full of bread and soft cakes.

"Have you heard it?" One gossiping lady called out to another, her voice standing out a bit from the others floating in the air. "Apparently someone defeated the Pokémon League Champion." That comment quickly picked his interested, but too busy in his delight of foods, he has chosen to just inch himself closer and raise his ear in curiosity.

"If I heard it? I saw the picture and all!" The other woman fiddled with her bag, taking out a recently printed magazine. "Look, this is an urgent edition that they made in a rush last night." She brought the magazine up, showing the rather colorful cover. "You see this boy standing beside Brendan, all stiff and silly in the face? He is the one!"

A gasp came out from the first one, her hand trailing at the picture of the cover. "Can't believe it! Someone so young defeated the invincible Champion?! He doesn't look older than twelve years old."

"I know right! But I barely paid attention to him… I just can't stop looking at Brendan, he gets more dreamy every time I see him."

"Gosh, I still can believe that he is married now… such a waste." The woman holding the magazine turned the cover over to her and a way to broad of a smile appeared on her face. "What I would give to hold him at least once..."

"Erh… excuse me girls, but could you lend me this magazine for a moment." Having finished his treat in a spectacular fast speed, the glutton approached the two of them with a friendly smile on his face.

Both women turned to see the newcomer, one growling in frustration for having her moment with 'Brendan' ruined, but that attitude lasted just until her eyes landed on him.

"My gosh…" The girl holding the magazine blushed wildly, her entire face turning red instantly. Her friend not faring much better in that regard. "Of course, p-please suit yourself."

Giving her a stunning smile, he gladly accepted the magazine.

With his eyes landing on the cover, the pacing of his heart went at full speed. He heard them talking about it but still, seeing in huge capital letters 'The Champion has fallen' was a huge blow to take in. However, instead of getting sad or angry, a satisfied look washed over his features.

'He lost, but look at him… He looks so happy about it.' Seeing his brother smiling proudly at the side of that unknown boy, it was strangely comforting.

Distracting himself away from that picture before his eyes could get teary, he noticed both girls looking at him with mesmerized eyes. Such attention was always a little strange for him, but at each passing year, he seems to be getting more and more of those reactions, especially from girls.

"This is insane right?" He lifted the magazine and pointed at the cover, but both women just continued to stare right at him. "Knowing that Brendan lost… that's quite surreal, don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah…" Replied the owner of the magazine, a blond girl with sparkling purple eyes. "So… surreal…"

"Cait… I think I am in love." The second one, a brunette with short height and chubby cheeks, blabbered out without thinking, her head lost to her daydream state.

"Well, thank you for lending it to me. I need to get going now, but it was nice talking with you two." He gave the magazine back to the girl, the blond practically melting as her hand made slight contact with his.

"W-Wait!" Yelled both of them.

"What is your name?" Asked the blonde.

He stopped and turned to look back at them. Giving a charming smile yet again, he waved one hand and replied. "The name is Spiegel."

Getting a small wink as a reward from their new idol, the girls almost fainted. Soon after that man distanced himself away, they entered into a deep and intricate argument about who is a better catch, Brendan or this mysterious Spiegel, in the end, no common ground was reached in that discussion.

Leaving behind those two funny girls, Spiegel continued to walk towards Slateport, this time having enough restraint to keep himself from diverting away to another interesting looking stall amongst the dozens of them. Not long after, he reached the giant archway and the city entrance proper, getting a full view of Slapeport bustling streets.

Taking some time to just glance at the scenery in front of him, Spiegel quickly noticed a small contingent of people waiting at the small park close to the giant archway of the port city. Each member of that group is waiting patiently for someone that arrived on the boat, some of them are holding out signs with the name of the person they are waiting for, others just waving signs of welcome for each passenger that arrives on Hoenn.

It was there, standing in front of that group of people, that Spiegel found the most interesting sight yet. A small brown Pokémon, standing on his rear legs and holding a cardboard sign with his sharp little claws. It was hard to not smile at that adorable scene happening in front of him.

Breathing slowly and calming his racing heart, Spiegel composed himself properly before going to meet the small Pokémon, it wouldn't do for him to cry before getting the first word out from his lips.

"Hey there little friend, are you waiting for someone?" He asked the serious-looking Linoone, his voice slightly startling the Pokémon who had barely paid any attention to him.

" **Ah… Sorry lady, but I can't play with you right now."** Linoone replied with a stern tone, his face showing a mild annoyance at the interference. **"I am waiting for my friend to arrive, so if you could, please move aside."**

"Lady?" Spiegel said perplexed, his face twitching into a slight confusion. He was not offended or upset about the mistake, but rather confused as to why he was called a girl. But then clicked on him rather quickly that for his little friend, that hasn't seen him for so long, his appearance may be a bit misleading. "Hahaha… I'm afraid you are mistaken, Stripes."

" **Hey! How do you know my name?"** Squeaked the Linoone loudly, almost letting the sign fall in his shock. **"Wait, you can talk with me? Who are you?"**

Narrowing his vision as he stared firmly at this 'woman', Stripes studied carefully each characteristic of this person's face.

Even per his own funny standards, Stripes recognized that this person is beautiful in every manner; in his honest opinion, way prettier than Zinnia and strangely enough, even prettier than Flannery.

Their face is pretty and soft, very feminine in most regards. The soft curves of their facial features a wild contrast to Brendan's now more manly and sharper edges; such features are adorned by a very pale skin that only makes those traits shine even more. Eyes deep blue with a familiar glow onto them, a glow that shines with gentleness and friendly warmth. And most of all, the most striking feature of this person, an extremely long brown hair, so full and yet soft, going all the way down past their waist.

His clothing didn't exactly help his case this time either. Differently from years ago, Spiegel's new stylistic choices divert quite a bit from his brother's taste. For starters, he is wearing some dark purple pants with loose legs at the end. Instead of sports shoes as he used too, now he is wearing some black boots with high-cane, the longer part of his boots tucked inside the loose legs of his pants. The upper part apparel is made of a dark ocean-blue shirt with no sleeves on one arm, showing his pale skin some more, while the other arm he has a very long black sleeve/glove that hides his changed limb.

"I am a bit hurt you know… I expected at least you to recognize me, little trouble maker."

" **SPIEGEL?!"** The poor Linoone jumped far high in his shock, his eyes almost bulging out from their sockets as he screeched wildly in his confusion. **"Call me a Wurmple and strap me into a tree… what happened to you? You look so different now."**

Overjoyed to finally see his friend again and a bit ecstatic from the surprise, Stripe dropped his sign and began to run laps around Spiegel's legs, the small Pokémon bursting with energy all of a sudden.

"Do I look that different now?" Spiegel asked with a quirked brow. He touched his cheek with one hand and messed with his hair with the other. "I feel like only my hair has grown more, not much aside from that."

" **Na-ham, no way! You look like a girl now."** Stripes yelled loudly, still doing his laps around his friend.

"Stop with that already, I don't look like a girl." Replied a slightly disturbed doppelganger.

Stripes suddenly stopped running and fell on his back, before Spiegel could get worried about the Pokémon's health, the small Linoone broke into a loud fit of giggles. **"You look so much better than that Dragon Woman. I can't wait to see her face when she sees you."**

Letting his small furry friend lose himself to his laughter and mischievous planning, Spiegel walked past the rolling Linoone and crouched down to take the sign in his hand.

"Welcome back, your stupid dork… signed, Stripes." To a welcoming sign, the choice of yours is sure puzzling for Spiegel, at least to a point that makes him question the overall friendliness of such welcome.

" **What did you say?"** Stripes jumped back on his paws, rushing to his friend's side and practically taking the little cardboard thing in his claws. **"Is this saying, stupid dork?"** He turned his head to the side and brought his gaze to his friend's ocean-blue eyes.

"Yeah… it is. And it says that it is signed by you."

" **THAT WITCH!"** The small Linoone raged in a fit, grabbing the sign with his mouth and trashing it into pieces. **"She said that this was a nice sign and that I should hold high for you to see. She played me!"**

"Okay… no need to get angry now. Who made this sign for you?"

Having finished the cardboard sign completely, leaving only tiny bits spread on the ground, Stripes turned to Spiegel and bashed his claws against the street's floor. **"The Dragon Woman! She came all suspiciously nice and said that she would make a nice gift for you.** **I should've known! That snake, she is not a dragon, but a viper! I will get her back for this."**

Patting his distressed friend on the head, Spiegel felt a little sorry for him. "There, there… I'm not upset, it was kind of funny actually." Using his now empty paper bag, Spiegel collected every piece of the late cardboard sign and tossed it at a trash can at the side of the avenue. "Stripes, hm… where is everybody?"

" **Hã? Hm… I don't know…"** The small trouble maker trailed his gaze to the side, getting suspiciously quiet after his sudden outburst.

"You don't know… huh?" Those deep-blue gems eyed the innocent-looking Pokémon with a little edge on them.

" **Yeah, I don't. the only thing I know is that I need to stall you for a while before taking you to that little town for the surprise—"** Stripes slammed his claw on his little mouth, freezing up on the spot, his eyes going from one side to the other in fear of having messed up.

"Surprise? What kind of surprise is that?" Spiegel pressed on, feeling that is a bit too easy to get answers out of his honest friend.

" **Don't know… don't care… My only job is making sure you don't suspect a thing before getting there."**

"So, let me see if I got this right. They sent you here to stall me for a while and make sure I don't suspect anything about this surprise thingy. Is this right?"

" **Exactly, so spot on! I am glad that you understand it. Now stop asking difficult questions and let me stall you."**

"Hah, you're still the same goofy ball as before. I'm glad you didn't change a bit, friend." Walking next to the still suspiciously wary Linoone, Spiegel crouched next to him and opened his arms, inviting the little brown-furball to jump onto him.

" **?!"** Stripes just stared at him with a dumbfounded face. **"What are you doing?"**

"Come on, don't be shy. Jump in my arms." Spiegel made just a simple invite, but by the look of outrage on Stripes' face, it is like he has said the most offensive thing on the planet.

" **Nev-"** Before Stripes could shout his utter rejection, he was grabbed by Spiegel's firm grasp; despite how delicate he may look, this man has an unbelievable strength to his arms, locking the Linoone into a close embrace that he would not so easily avoid.

Getting back on a straight pose with Stripes still in his arms, Spiegel adjusted his bag on his back and began to march forward, deeper inside the city. "So, where do we go until you have stalled me for long enough?"

Despite his initial struggle and exaggerated denial, the small Linoone quite quickly settled comfortably on his friend's hold, spinning his body around and laying against those slim arms as if he was getting comfortable in a cozy bed. **"Oh, oh! I know! How about we go to that desert on Route 111. I want to show you a cool trick I've learned; it's called sand-surfing."**

"Hm… that sounds fun. Can you teach me how to do it too?"

" **Of course, I can! I am the best sand-surfer there is. Stick with me and you will be surfing in no time."**

"That settles it. To the desert, we go." Said a very excited Spiegel.

" **We go!"** Replied an equally excited Stripes. Letting his friend carry him around, the spunky Linoone pointed the way forward and began singing one of his many short songs.

Just humming along as his little friend let his voice out, the returning Doppelganger felt a warm feeling inside his chest. Even if he loved every single one of his travels, each place he traveled, every discovery he found… It was all fantastic and life-fulfilling. But being back here on his 'home', just singing around with one of his friends… Without a doubt, this is the place he wants to be from now on.

* * *

"Which time is it again?" Asked one very irritated Zinnia. Her right foot is stomping on the green ground beneath her, a harsh frown showing how much she is annoyed at this moment.

"Way past twelve…" Said one equally as vexed red-haired woman, but instead of anger, she is getting anxious with the wait. "Isn't this a bit too late? Why exactly did you two tell Stripes before he left?"

Growling like a feral beast, Zinnia turned to Flannery with a vicious glare. "We just asked that stupid fleabag to stray the guy a bit around in the road… not to take him to a trip over the moon." She glanced back to the open road out of Littleroot, only the quietly waving of the grass appearing on her sight. "That useless thing has probably got lost and left the other one clueless on Slateport."

Flannery frowned at the other woman, puffing her cheeks, she placed both hands on her hips. "Why are you so MEAN to Stripes?" Even after so long, she still has that little bit of 'Flannery' that always pops out in her speech.

"Because he is a noisy punk and his every purpose in life is to make me angry in one way or another."

While the two heated-headed beauties began to argue over their fuzzy-furred friend, the man standing next to them is fretting like crazy, his trembling hand pressing close to his lips.

"What if something happened…" Said a panicking Brendan. "Maybe a crack opened on the sea and swallowed the entire ship! Or even worse, maybe Spiegel was enjoying the view at the side of the cruiser and got pushed into the open ocean…."

"Jeez, Brendan would you stop panicking for a moment?!" Zinnia yelled at her frantic husband, his red eyes instantly snapping towards her, the intensity of his gaze scaring her a little bit. "If you stop making crazy stories for just a while, you will notice that Kyogre is not only here on Hoenn but he is somewhat close. This means, that unless he has evolved and created legs out of a sudden, your brother is carrying him around on who knows where."

Aside from those three, standing right in front of Littleroot town's entrance, quite a lot of commotion is happening in this small rural town. One side of the population is working in a frenzy, placing decorations and helping the respected couple prepare their house to receive a son that they had never known before, at least not properly.

Then, there is the other side of town, most precisely, the members of Brendan's Fanclub. If the mood on town is festive and cheery because of the arriving guest, their mood is one of grief and borderline depression. Each member is dressed in black, from head to toe, all of them mourning the recently deceased invincible streak of their idol. Apparently, the news of Brendan's defeat left them into a spiral of hopelessness; even if said Brendan is right here in town, going crazy about his brother's return.

"Seriously… how long are they going to keep crying over that?" Asked a mildly annoyed Wally.

"I don't know…" May sighed at his side, she has tried to be rational with those people once… it didn't go anywhere. "Just leave them be, we have much more to focus right now."

"Looking forward to seeing him again?" Wally said with a cheeky tone, his brows quirking up into a funny suspicious manner.

To his question, May just hit him in the arm and then embraced him from the side. "Of course I am, just as much as you are." She said with a giggle. "As weird as everything was when we meet him, I came to like him as a close friend."

Wally nodded quietly, a soft smile appearing on his lips. "No teasing or smug behavior… He was the perfect friend I wished I had… please don't tell Brendan I said that." Squeezing his sides, May just giggled at her boyfriend's confession, she would surely have some fun later with that little slip-up.

"Wally, dear. Can you help Norman place the big sign in the living room?" Brendan's mother came out of the house, surprising both May and Wally, the couple snapping out of each other as soon as they heard the woman's voice. "Oh please, you two… There is nothing wrong with a little show of affection."

They looked at each other, blushing deeply, and then laughed at their silliness.

" **Big mama, where do I put these?"** Aster came tiptoeing out of the house, holding a pack of blankets in her small hands. To her 'big mama' she was just making such cute noises and acting adorable, so the woman leaned down and patted her on the head.

"Mur, mur… Mur!" A little girl with brown hair tied in two tiny twin-tails came walking right behind Aster. She heard Aster calling out to her mother and began to imitate the same words she heard. "Aster is so funny."

To this day, Aster cannot understand why this girl follows her around saying just those words. But ever since Brendan's little sister was able to walk on her own, they have become close friends and inseparable play-buddies whenever the little Whismur comes over to visit.

"Are you two helping with the decoration?" Said the older woman with a motherly smile.

"Yes!" July replied with a squeal. "Aster, let me help too."

Aster looked at July and then down to the blankets on her hand. **"Okay."** She stood in the tip of her little feet and handed over half of the stack that was sitting in her tiny arms.

"Mur!" July squealed again, this time turning around and zooming inside the house.

" **Wait! You will drop them."** Worried about her new helper, Aster dashed after the girl, making all the cute noises that only she can.

Back with the anxious trio, Brendan is on the verge of storming out of Littleroot and going after Spiegel all over Hoenn; he probably would have darted out of here long ago, if not by the fierce grip of of his wife's arms wrapped around his body.

"I mean it, Zinnia… It's just a little peek on the road outside, I-aarg- I will not fly all over Hoenn, I promise."

"Just stay -ggah- put, Brendan!"

Finding themselves in a surprise wrestling match, the famous couple is entangled in a mess of arms and legs, Zinnia so desperately trying to keep Brendan in place, while he is doing his best to squeeze out of her clutches.

As weird as it is to watch to grown-up people practically rolling on the dirt in the middle of town, Flannery is feeling a lot more relaxed after this strange display of her friends. Still, her mind cannot help but wander around, thinking about her silly pair that she has been missing for so long and for so much.

Lost with the memories, the few ones she has about her boyfriend; Flannery felt a sudden tug press at the side of her pant's legs as if something was ever so slightly pulling her away. "Stripes?!" Looking down she noticed that the pull on her pants is actually the Linoone, that just popped out from the ground, biting at it and pulling away. "W-what? You want me to follow you?" She asked with a soft whisper, not sure why he would try to pull her away instead of calling out for Brendan who can actually understand him.

Letting go of her pants for the moments, Stripes looked upwards and nodded. Giving a sneaky look at the wrestling couple at the side, the turned around and dashed quietly towards the forest at the side of Littleroot.

"Is this another one of his pranks…?" Wondered Flannery, a poor victim of many of Stripes 'pranks', that fuzzy ball of trouble has the habit of doing the weirdest things just to surprise people. Sparing a glance towards Brendan and Zinnia before leaving, Flannery quietly followed the small Linoone inside the curtain of trees.

Wondering if she would be able to catch up to him, she was glad to see that he would casually pop his head from behind a tree just to guide her way forward. After no more than two minutes of walk, Flannery reached a small clearing in between the large trees, this place has a magic feel to it because of the glow of the sun reflecting on the sea at the shore just ahead. A few paces inside this small clearing, Flannery saw Stripes speaking to someone and then turn his head to look at her; after giving the Fiery-Gym Leader a happy little grin, the energetic Linoone sprinted right back inside the trees.

"Stripes, wait a minute!" She called out to him, ready to follow the small Pokémon inside the turvy trail he vanished to.

"I asked him to bring you here…" A familiar voice called out to her, this voice coming over from behind one of the trees at the edge of the land. "There are so many people in Littleroot… I just wanted to have some time with you." Spiegel stepped out from his hiding spot and stopped right in front of her. "Hi, Flannery…"

With a loud gasp, Flannery brought one hand to her mouth. "Spiegel…?" She said his name in a confused manner, instantly recognizing his voice but still at lost on his appearance.

Moving closer to his loved one, Spiegel took one of Flannery's hands into his own and kissed the top of it. "Yes, it's me." He said with a handsome smile. "Flannery, I missed you so-" His voice was silenced by a crushing embrace coming from her, her arms hastily wrapping around him, pulling him closer, squeezing the air out of him just so see if he is real.

"Spiegel, Spiegel! I missed you, I missed you so much." She loosened the grip of her hug just enough to pull back and get a proper look of his face. "It has been so long… you changed so much…"

He laughed quietly with a bit of hesitation, trailing his gaze a bit to the side in apprehension. "A good change?" His eyes went puppy mode with the question, just to make her melt at the sight of them.

"You look so beautiful… I thought you would look just like Brendan, but… you look like a beauty model." One of her funny snorting laughs escaped the red-haired woman, making her cover her lips a bit ashamed. "How will I keep all the girls away from you now?"

And right then all the apprehension building up inside of him faded away like nothing, replaced by a wide grin and a look of pure happiness. "You don't need to. The only girl I want is you."

Holding the tip of her chin with two fingers, Spiegel pulled Flannery closer, taking her lips in a sweet and calming kiss, as innocent and pure as the first kiss they shared a long time ago.

"Gosh… you should've sent a few photos of you, that way I could've prepared myself for all of this." Still feeling a bit high on her senses after their kiss, Flannery held closer to him, resting her head against his lean chest.

A bit speechless back by her comment, Spiegel wrapped his arms around her waist and pulling her even closer to him. "You will have the rest of our lives to get used to… all of this." The last bit he said with a few provocative hints in his tone. "I love you, Flannery. Thank you for waiting all these years for me."

She giggled and then laughed quietly. "You are worth the wait." Looking upwards to his blue shining eyes, she pleaded for a kiss with her gaze and he gladly obliged, capturing her lips into another soothing kiss. "I love you, Spiegel."

Alone in the middle of nowhere, with just the warmth of each other's body flowing through them. Truly a moment of pure bliss for a couple that has not seen each other for long six years. To Flannery and Spiegel, time could stop right now and never resume again and they would still be forever happy in each other's arms.

Unwilling to part away from him Flannery wants to stay here for the whole day, but with her honest personality, she is unable to steal him all for herself and leave his welcoming party behind them. "Spiegel… we need to go back. Everyone is waiting for you."

Feeling the same as her, Spiegel hummed quietly and finally let her go. "I know… but I'm kind of nervous about it. There's too much of them in the same place, it's mind wreaking enough to face my… my parents for the first as Spiegel."

"It's okay. I will be there with you." She grabbed his hand into a firm hold, locking their fingers together. "From now on, we will face everything together." How in the world can he say no to those earnest eyes?

Just now dawned on Spiegel how much sway Flannery will have over him, and deep down, he doesn't mind it one bit. Squeezing her hand affectionally, Spiegel got from her every courage he needs to look forward and walk towards Littleroot. With his giggling girlfriend at his side, the missing doppelganger is finally coming back home.

* * *

"SSSURPRISSEEE!" An entire town worth of people shouted at the same time as soon as Spiegel stepped out of the tree cover; not expecting this loud of a welcome, he almost toppled down to the ground.

Brendan is the first one to step forward, beckoning his brother towards a fierce hug. "Welcome back, little brother. You sure took your sweet time making us wait, huh?"

"Sorry, man. Stripes took me to sand-surf, we kinda lost track of time in there." The younger of the twin offered his brother a sheepish grin.

"So that's why your pants are covered with spots of sand." Grabbing his sibling by the shoulder, Brendan guided him towards the large group of people watching them; feeling Spiegel's shoulder tense instantly, Brendan gave him one strong squeeze to give him security. "People of Littleroot! You waited long enough to meet my young brother, and here he is! I present to you, Spiegel." Giving said brother a light push in his back, Brendan gently shoved him forward.

After Brendan's grandiose introduction of his brother, the following reaction was a deafening silence; one long and awkward silence. Standing in front of so many gazes and getting the most brutal silent treatment he has ever suffered; Spiegel was quickly starting to panic. Dozens of idiotic ideas crossed his mind as to why he has caused such a bad reaction out of these people, if this keeps going for much longer, he will certainly sprint towards the trees again.

"Oh my… Look how handsome my son is." Their mother was the first to break the silence, the mature woman rushing towards him, grabbing his face with both hands. "Welcome back and nice to meet you, Spiegel."

Spiegel had to stifle the rush of tears coming to his ocean-blue eyes, instead of giving in to a loud crying fit, he replied her words with a sincere and glad smile. "Nice to meet you too, mother."

His mother squealed like a little girl, clapping both hands in front of her with happy excitement. "I can't believe how pretty he is… I think I going to cry…"

"Moooom!" Brendan yelled from his spot. "What's up with that? You will make me jealous with this favoritism." He turned to Zinnia standing close to his left with a face of pure distress. "Ain't I pretty too?"

His wife, who had turned very silent after her brother-in-law sudden appearance, looked towards her husband and offered him a sorry look.

"Come on, Zinnia! Not you too." In an overly dramatic scene, Brendan went to the ground in total defeat.

From within the large group, the stern-looking man responsible for drilling respect inside everyone's head walked closer to his wife; placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and giving his new son a serious stare.

"Have you found your path?" Norman asked in his always serious voice, which sounds more like a strict teacher than a father.

Spiegel looked at his father for a moment, giving him a respectful nod before responding. "Yes, sir… I finally found my path in life."

Amazing every bystander present, Norman gifted them with a phenomenon rarer than a solar eclipse… He walked closer to the younger man, patted him on the head and smiled. "That's all that matters, son."

From there on out it just turned into a full-blown celebration. Everyone jumped forward, seeking to steal a bit of Spiegel's attention. Most men and boys were so curious to meet a person like him, ask about his travels and how good he is as a trainer. The female population of Littleroot was more interested in another part of this exciting newcomer; they couldn't hide their awe with his appearance; their overeager pleas for his attention left poor Flannery in quite a distress.

"Hey there, kid." Wally gave Spiegel one friendly slap on his back, getting his friend's attention onto him. "Life sure is surprising, isn't it? Who would thought that you would become the skinny-pretty guy, while I turned out to be the ruggedly handsome, huh?"

May slid closer to her green-haired boyfriend, poking him on the side. "Did you just call yourself handsome?" She gave him a funny look paired with a giggle. "That's so lame."

"You called me that!" Wally replied with a frown. "I just echoed your own words." His girlfriend just continued to giggle at him.

"Wow… you two sure look close." Watching them for only a moment and Spiegel already noticed the subtle touches traded between the two. "Wally, have you finally grown the courage to ask May out?"

"Actually, I was the one doing the asking." May jumping in, giving her long-haired friend a playful wink.

Changing his gaze from May to Wally, Spiegel gave him one judging look with his sparkling blue eyes. "Wally… she was the one asking you out? Even with you being the first one in the relationship having any romantic feelings… Jeez, you are lame."

"Shut up, okay. She moved too fast… I couldn't keep up, things just happened…" Wally quickly went from being one trying to tease his friend to be the one being teased by everyone. The poor man can never be on the other part of these playful trades. "Forget about it…"

"Ow... don't pout, Wally. If it serves as consolation, I do think you are handsome." Topping off her little apology with a quick kiss on his cheek, May made Wally's frustration melt rather quickly, his serious frown quickly changing to a goofy grin.

Leaving the couple to their innocent flirting, Spiegel stepped aside after being called by his mother. He had to wiggle his way out of some members of Brendan's Fanclub, the same people who were mourning a tittle just minutes before, are all euphoric about their idol's younger twin.

His mother waved for him to get closer, then looked down at the little girl hiding behind her legs. "Go on, July. Go meet your other brother." She tried to nudged July out of her hiding spot, but this only made the girl get even more stubborn in her shy behavior.

Walking past the little girl and her mother, a little pink Pokémon approached Spiegel and tapped him on his legs. **"I remember about you…"** She tilted her head a little to the side, looking at him with a very attentive gaze. **"You're the man who looks like daddy."** She said happily, pointing up to his face.

"That would be me, Aster." Spiegel crouched and leaned closer to the little Whismur, patting her on the head. "Nice to meet you, my name is Spiegel."

" **Yes! I remember about you, we met before."** She dangled happily on her feet, bobbing her round body back and forward. **"I like you. You're nice like daddy."**

"Oh gosh, you are so cute still." Unable to withstand the pure adorableness of that little pink ball, Spiegel surrendered himself to Aster and grabbed her in his arms, taking her into a squeezing hug.

Making a trail of bumps on the ground, Stripes quickly popped up beside his long-time friend, scowling at the scene playing in front of him. **"You guys need to check on your eyes."** He said with a scoff. **"There is nothing cute about her silly face."**

Spiegel and Aster looked down at the Linoone standing out above the green ground. "Is that so…" The long-haired trainer said with a hint of mischief in his tone. "Funny, who was the Pokémon that simply could not stop talking about Aster, huh?" He grinned when Linoone fully jumped out of the ground, outraged out of his small hole in the earth.

" **D-Dunno what you're talking about…"** Denied the brown jokester.

"Oh, you don't?" Spiegel diverted his attention to the Whismur in his arms. "Aster, would you like to know what he spent the whole day talking about?"

Aster tilted her head to the side again, a bit curious but still unsure about it. **"He only says mean things to me…"** She said with a low cry, her ears deflating down sadly.

"That's just the front he is putting in. Stripes actually think that you-"

" **Aaaah! Stupid Aster, pink blob of dumbness."** Stripes shouted from the top of his lungs; to the ordinary people around him, it looked like he was howling to the moon in the middle of the day, and finding it quite a funny presentation they clapped to his yell of anguish.

Puffing up her cheeks, Aster jumped out from Spiegel's arms and went running after the fleeing Linoone, ready to pummel his fur with her little fists.

"Hey, you punk!" Zinnia yelled from the other side of town. "Stop harassing my daughter."

"Hah… I'm not sure what happened, but those two get along very well together no?" Spiegel's mother watched the odd duo chase after one another all around town, a gentle smile resting on her lips all the while.

"They sure do, even if the Linoone would never admit it." Spiegel replied with a small chuckle. Stripes will be due to a harsh struggle in his future if he doesn't change his act towards the pinky Whismur.

"H-He likes Aster?" July finally walked out from behind her mother's legs. She looked up to Spiegel, still a bit afraid of him.

Spiegel kneeled closer to her, offering a calming smile and then nodded. "He sure does. But he is too shy to admit it."

July tilted her head to the side, a small frown forming on her pure face. "That's dumb, isn't it? If he likes Aster, he should say it. I like her and I say it every time."

"Well, Stripes likes to pose as a free and strong Pokémon. He is scared that saying it to her will make him look weak." He explained as simple as he could so his little sister could follow it.

And she did, but only to make her cross her arms and pout angrily. "Then he is dumb."

"Haha… maybe he is, but just a little." Warming her up to speak freely to him, Spiegel reached out with one hand and offered it to the little girl. "I've met you before when you're just a baby, but… Nice to meet you again, July. My name is Spiegel."

Getting conscious of him again, July averted her gaze to the side, fiddling with her fingers in a shy manner but not going back behind her mom. "Mommy said that you are my big brother… But Brendan is my big brother… Do I have two brothers now?"

"Yes, July." Her mother leaned over her, tapping lightly over her small shoulders to get her attention, just to give her a reassuring smile. "Both Spiegel and Brendan are your big brothers."

"Big brother…" July eyed Spiegel from head to toe, reaching up to his hand and squeezing his fingers in a curious touch. "You're my brother, I have two brothers..." She giggled and smiled at him, stepping closer to her new brother and resting her face on the side of his neck. "Nice to meet you, big brother Spiegel."

Every little encounter since he reached Littleroot has challenged Spiegel's ability to stay composed and hold his cool façade. He casually played off Brendan's initial announcement, he naturally talked with Wally, May, Zinnia and every one of his previous acquaintances as if he has never left before; he has even stayed calm after being accepted so lovingly by his father and mother.

However, July's words utterly broke his resolve. As soon as the little tomboy reached to his neck and wrapped him into a warm embrace, his eyes melted in tears.

Feeling the small hiccups coming from her brother, July stepped back and looked at him with concerned eyes. "Big brother?" She glanced back to her mother, still distressed by seeing the man crying. "Is he hurt?"

"No sweetie… your brother is not hurt…" The mature woman had a lot of trouble keeping her tears from spilling out, still allowing a few sobs to escape her lips as she watched the scene with a melting heart.

Taking Spiegel by surprise, a pair of strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him back up to his feet and turning him in place. "We waited a long time to welcome you here, Spiegel." Brendan looked at his brother with a solemn look, any signs of his playful persona completely gone. "Have a good look at the people around you, around us. This is your family, man. This place right here is your home, our home." Fighting with every fiber of his being, Brendan tried to hold the gleaming tears from sliding down his cheeks but to no avail. "Spiegel… I'm so glad to finally be able to say this to you. Welcome back home, little brother."

Sobbing, crying and in a complete mess of tears; Spiegel looked down to the ground for a moment and then pulled Brendan into a crushing hug. All the bottled emotions stored inside his chest came flowing out like a stream of water down the river's path. He tried two times to put his feelings into words but he could only sob louder than before, it was only when Flannery's soft hand rested on his back that Spiegel stopped shivering from crying so hard.

"Thank you, Brendan… Thank you so much all of you guys here with me…" Forcibly rubbing the tears away from his face, Spiegel looked at the people around him and he gratefully smiled. "I am finally back home."

* * *

_============================================ **THE END ================================================**_

* * *

_**Chrono Cross - Life ~ Distant Promise ( watch?v=cnBWY7D_X7Q )** _

* * *

**_This is it, the conclusion to this short story I had the pleasure of writing._ **

**_For everyone that stuck through until the very end, I would like to_ ** **_express my most sincere thank you. Seriously, I can only be grateful for your patience and for being able to start and finish this idea I had for a plot. It is all thanks to everyone that followed this story until the end and it would be very difficult without this incentive._ **

**_Again, thank you for coming on this journey with me._ **

**_One last time, I will leave a special gift to you. A song, to maybe sweeten this farewell a bit more._ **

* * *

_**Chrono Cross -** _ _**Radical Dreamers ~ Unstolen Jewel ~ (** _ **_watch?v=aBE3c9X0BoA )_ **

* * *

Alone in his frozen throne up at the giant mountain, the raven-haired champion stared at open space in front of him, spacing out in the middle of his conversation.

" _Ethan… are you listening?"_ Silver's rather annoyed voice ringed through the phone, startling Ethan back to his senses.

"Yes, I am listening babe…"

" _Don't call me that... it's disgusting."_ Spat even angrier the red-haired man.

"So, how long are you going the keep traveling with Looker?" Ethan made sure to put his 'puppy eyes mode' into his voice as he asked the question.

By the long sigh coming from Silver, he could visualize the red-haired rolling his eyes. _"Just one more week. We found some traces that may take us to Giovanni, in whatever dimension or planet he has ran to."_

"That's nice…" By his tone, Ethan is clearly not interested in the maniac old man or the boring tales of Looker and his travels. "I miss you, okay?"

" _Okay…"_ Silver replied hesitantly, even his voice carried a bit of his blush.

"I have a nice surprise for you. When you get back in Johto, will make sure to give you the greatest se-"

" _I am ending the call, good day to you Ethan."_ Soon after only the hollow ringing noise of Ethan's phone could be heard.

"He still so shy…" A satisfied smirk flashed on his lips, this resistance only enticing the wild raven-haired even further. "Just you wait until I get my hands on you again, my lovely Silver."

Before he could dive in whatever improper delusions that were brewing inside his head, Ethan heard the echoing steps of someone reaching to his chamber at the open summit. Intrigued by the prospect of a new challenger, he waited patiently until a silhouette appeared behind the curtain of white light guarding the open door.

His golden eyes gleamed with wildfire as soon as that person stepped out into the light. If those carmesin eyes weren't familiar enough, that small yellow creature standing on the man's shoulder would surely remind him of this person.

"…Your name is Ethan, right?" Said the red-eyed trainer, a small smirk showing on his lips. "I heard you're pretty good."

Every hair on Ethan's body got electrified in an instant, shivering everywhere. "Holy fuck…"

However, contrary to that day on Lilycove, he is trembling with pure excitement and grinning from ear to ear. This exact moment is what he waited for all these years on the top of this blasted mountain, no matter how much he came to hate the snow.

"Back to get another session of ass-kicking?" Ethan jumped out from his outlook spot, landing on the natural arena on top of Mt. Silver. "I've been waiting for you… Red."


End file.
